Logging

In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used narrowly to describe the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard.

Logging systems are also used to manage forests, reduce the risk of wildfires, and restore ecosystem functions,[2] though their efficiency for these purposes has been challenged.

Harvesting trees from forests submerged by flooding or dam creation is called underwater logging, a form of timber recovery.

Silviculture objectives for clearcutting, (for example, healthy regeneration of new trees on the site) and a focus on forestry distinguish it from deforestation.

[11] This technique removes both nutrients and soil cover from the site and so can be harmful to the long-term health of the area if no further action is taken, however, depending on the species, many of the limbs are often broken off in handling so the result may not be as different from tree-length logging as it might seem.

[citation needed] Cut-to-length logging is the process of felling, delimbing, bucking, and sorting (pulpwood, sawlog, etc.)

Mechanical harvesters fell the tree, delimb, and buck it, and place the resulting logs in bunks to be brought to the landing by a skidder or forwarder.

Logging methods have changed over time, driven by advancements in transporting timber from remote areas to markets.

[12] In the early days, felled logs were transported using simple methods such as rivers to float tree trunks downstream to sawmills or paper mills.

Logs were also moved with high-wheel loaders, a set of wheels over ten feet tall, initially pulled by oxen.

[14] The largest high-wheel loader, the "Bunyan Buggie," was built in 1960 for service in California, featuring wheels 24 feet (7.3 m) high.

Today, heavy machinery such as yarders and skyline systems are used to gather logs from steep terrain, while helicopters are used for heli-logging to minimize environmental impact.

It works with employers, workers, contractors, and government agencies to implement fundamental changes necessary to make it safer to earn a living in forestry.

[23] The risks experienced in logging operations can be somewhat reduced, where conditions permit, by the use of mechanical tree harvesters, skidders, and forwarders.