The “how to” for selling and harvesting trees grown as short-rotation forestry depends on the end use of the product, planting density, and average stem diameter of the trees to be harvested. Regardless of the end product, the economic outcome of all forestry projects, including short-rotation, requires handling the timber sale right!

Raw material requirements for different markets: The targeted market and local facilities will determine the harvesting system used. Many of the traditional wood products industry will require larger diameter and better-formed trees from longer rotations and purchase as logs only, while other uses such as bioenergy or paper may prefer delivered chips (Table 8).

When selling logs, the landowner will need to know minimum log specifications (diameter and log length) to know when the plantation is ready to harvest. Logs for veneer or lumber may be three or more times as valuable per ton, compared to paper or energy. The landowner will want to defer a sale until most trees have adequate diameter for the higher value-per-ton market. For paper and litter pellets, many mills will take logs or tree-length stems. Some will take chips from whole-tree on-site chippers. The landowner will need to know the minimum log specifications (diameter and log length) or for chips whether the mill will take “dirty chips” (bark, leaves and twigs included) or “clean” chips from chippers with debarking technology. Boiler fuel is usually produced by having trees chipped before hauling to the energy plant. Dirty (non-debarked) chips are typical. Wood pellets mills that do large-scale manufacturing of pellets for off-shore power plants will take logs or tree-length stems, and they will debark and chip the logs at the plant before densifying. Some pellet mills may also take dirty chips chipped before hauling. Biofuel production using cellulose from trees or other crops is theoretically possible. However, biofuels from cellulose (as opposed to ethanol from corn) are not yet competitive with petroleum. When the United States begins manufacturing biofuels, the type of material (logs or chips) will depend on the technology used by a specific mill.

Harvesting systems: Conventional harvesting systems include a mix of feller bunchers, skidders, log loaders or in-woods chippers (Figure 27). Short-rotation forestry grown for fiber can be harvested in 2 to 3 years if planted at high densities and harvested as small stems. Currently, specialized harvesting systems for dense small-diameter stems are not readily available in NC. Specialized harvesting systems for dense, small-diameter stems have been developed and tested in other locations. Some are essentially heavy-duty forage harvester systems. Another specialized harvesting system developed and tested is the “biobaler” that severs and bundles small diameter stems into bales (Figure 28). Use of biobalers only becomes practical if end users are able to process bales for energy.