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Research article2018Peer reviewedOpen access

High-pruning of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.): work efficiency for target pruning as a function of tree species, pruning height, branch characteristics, pole saw type and operator

Skovsgaard, Jens Peter; Markmann, Jacob Johan Mohr; Attocchi, Giulia; Talbot, Bruce

Abstract

The objective of this study was to establish an operational model of productive work time per tree (work efficiency) for high-pruning of young European beech and pedunculate oak depending on tree species, pruning height, branch characteristics, pole saw type and operator. The final model included all of these independent variables with branch characteristics specified in terms of number of live branches and cross-sectional area of the thickest branch at the cut. Work time increased with increasing values of each of the three numeric variables. For a given pruning height the size of the largest branch was for all practical purposes more influential than the number of live branches. Beech took 28% longer to prune than oak. The German Ergo-Schnitt saw was 21% slower than the Japanese Silky Hayauchi saw. The variation in worker performance within our study was larger than that attributed to tree species and pruning equipment.

Keywords

High-pruning; bottom-up pruning; target pruning; pole saw; beech; oak; work efficiency

Published in

Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research
2018, Volume: 33, number: 5, pages: 511-517
Publisher: TAYLOR & FRANCIS AS