Effects of tree diameter and some working conditions on residual stump height following selective logging -Short Communication

Abstract

The forests in the north of Iran are located on steep terrains. The stump heights were measured in three compartments under selective management in Caspian forests. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of site characteristics on stump heights. The trees were felled with a Stihl chainsaw in the region. Each compartment included three slope categories (0-15, 15-30, and 30-60%) and three diameter categories (40-60, 60-80, 80-100 cm). Also, three snow depths were identified in the felling places (0-15, 15-30, and 30-45 cm) because of the felling season. The results of ANOVA test indicated that slope categories and snow depth had significant effects on stump heights (P < 0.01). In addition, the results proved that the stump diameter of harvested trees had no significant effect on residual stump heights (P > 0.05). Besides, there is a multiple linear relationship between stump height (dependent variable) and ground slope and snow depth as the independent variables.