Managing northern hardwood forests using high-frequency, low-intensity regimes, such as single-tree selection, favors shade-tolerant species and can reduce tree species diversity. Management decisions among family forest owners (FFO) can collectively affect species and structural diversity within northern hardwood forests at regional scales. We surveyed FFOs in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan to understand likely future use of three silvicultural treatments—single-tree selection, shelterwood, and clearcut. Our results indicate that FFOs were most likely to implement single-tree selection and least likely to implement clearcut within the next 10 years. According to logistic regression, prior use of a treatment and perceived financial benefits significantly increased the odds for likely use for all three treatments. Having received professional forestry assistance increased likely use of single-tree selection but decreased likely use of shelterwood. We discuss these results within the context of species diversity among northern hardwood forests throughout the region.

Harvest operations carried out by a single logger operating more than one machine are common, yet little is understood of their productivity and costs. A case study of three single-logger operations (SLO) located in New York, USA was conducted to assess their harvest costs and productivity. Daily activity and production data were collected from each harvest operation and analyzed in conjunction with machine rate calculations to estimate system productivity and costs for each SLO. Based on these data, deterministic simulations were conducted to assess how the addition of second and third loggers affected harvest system efficiency. Operator and equipment utilization rates were calculated at the systems level and compared among the observed SLOs and simulated two- and three-logger simulations. In most cases, the introduction of additional loggers reduced operator utilization due to the introduction of system delays, and therefore, increased labor costs. However, this investment in labor often led to greater equipment utilization and lower production costs. Overall, system productivity increased by between 77% and 145% when additional loggers were added to the system, while costs per cubic meter (m³) decreased by as much as 28%. The results of this study will inform business decisions regarding the efficiency of SLO and the potential gains associated with investing in crew sizes greater than one.

Logging firms are a critical link in wood supply chains, connecting forest landowners with markets for wood products. Improving operational planning can benefit individual logging firms as well as the larger wood supply chain in which they operate. Applying concepts from Theory of Constraints (TOC) to timber harvesting may help achieve greater predictability and efficiency when planning harvest operations. However, examples that demonstrate how TOC can improve logging operations are lacking. This study focuses on the analysis of production and activity data collected during the harvest of a temperate mixed hardwood forest in the Northeast United States using a chainsaw-forwarder system through a TOC lens. Specifically, the drum-buffer-rope (DBR) method was used to reschedule operator and machine activities such that a consistent flow of wood from stump to landing was maintained despite anticipated production setbacks. The results of this case study provide insights into the usefulness of applying TOC to logging operations. In particular, logging businesses must be able to estimate machine and operator productivity within a given harvest context to identify and exploit system constraints, while taking full advantage of unused capacity of any non-constraint functions.