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The recent ‘National Forestry Demonstration of Small-Scale
Harvesting and Extraction Options’ attracted an attendance
of over 400 to the event.
Many of the visitors were small farm forest owners seeking
practical and workable solutions to managing, thinning and
improving their small farm forests.
Most of the felling and extracting in Irish forestry is done
by harvesters and forwarders. However, the machinery involved
is large and expensive and a large volume of timber is required
to justify using/transporting such machinery. The purpose
of the demonstration was to investigate the options available
to small forest owners to manage and thin their forests. The
visiting contractors at the event shared both their experience
and expertise in small scale harvesting methods with the growers.
The advantages and disadvantages of timber trailers of varying
sizes and capacity were evaluated as well as the presentation
of timber for loading, handling brash and harvesting and extracting
costs.
Alternative methods of extracting timber were highlighted
at the demonstration, with both the real horse and the iron
horse showing their environmental credentials through their
low impact on forest soils. Quads, mini forwarders and tractors
of varying shapes and sizes were demonstrated and evaluated.
Basic farm machinery such as the tractor, buck rake and trailer
can be put to very good use in a farm forest.
These different harvesting and extracting options can be
put to work in both broadleaf and conifer woodlands extracting
timber of various assortments - from firewood to stakewood.
Visitors were shown the difference quality thinning can make
to a crop. Teagasc’s forestry researchers demonstrated how
to mark top quality trees while removing inferior competitors
in a broadleaf woodland.
A working forest poses dangers and safety is of paramount
importance. Arthur Kierans of Teagasc’s Ballyhaise College
demonstrated the correct use of a chainsaw.
For further information on any aspect of forestry production,
contact your local Teagasc forestry development officer. Contact
details and information of this event are all available at
- www.teagasc.ie/forestry
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