주행보조윈치의 적용에 따른 하베스터 작업이 산림 토양물리성에 미치는 영향

초록

Because of its carbon neutrality policy, Korea’s Forest Service aims to expand timber use and small-scale logging by promoting the use of forestry machines such as harvesters. However, timber harvesting using forestry machinery can degrade the physical properties of forest soil by increasing soil bulk density and reducing water movement. Winches are used to assist harvester operations to minimize soil damage. This study evaluated the effects of winch assistance during harvester operations by measuring changes in soil bulk density at different soil depths in the harvested areas and analyzing the relationship between x and slope gradients. The results show that soil bulk density increased by 20.2% along the wheel track area of the unassisted harvester; in contrast, it increased to only 9.6% (p < 0.05) with winch assistance, indicating a statistically significant difference. Changes in soil bulk density with increasing slope were not statistically significant. However, bulk density tended to decrease significantly (p > 0.05) on steep slopes exceeding 45% when the winch was applied. These findings suggest that winch assistance can minimize soil damage caused by forestry machinery, especially in steep-slope areas.

키워드