Forest Operations

This subject is not offered in 2015.

170 hours

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. This course requires all students to enrol in subjects where they must actively and safely contribute to field excursions and laboratory activities. Students who feel their disability will impact on meeting this requirement are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Subject Coordinator and Disability Liaison http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/ students email: disability-liaison@unimelb.edu.au

This subject provides an overview of forest and plantation harvesting operations including mechanized harvesting methods, cable yarding, transportation systems, forest road management, and harvest planning. Harvesting and operations cost assessment techniques, and applications of planning software to help frame problems and provide information for contemporary forest and plantation management. Students will apply the information learned in the course to develop a harvesting plan and present the plan.

At the end of the course students should be able to:

• Describe the capabilities and limitations of harvesting, transportation and operations equipment and systems that are used in different native forest and plantation applications
• Identify the appropriate variables that affect harvesting productivity, cost and safe working conditions
• Obtain operations productivity rates, calculate machine rates, and harvesting cost and manage value in a forest supply chain
• Use current harvesting software to aid decision making, and forest or plantation planning
• Complete a forest/plantation harvesting plan that includes all aspects of roads and transportation planning, tree harvesting, and meeting environmental, regulatory, and social management objectives.

• 2 individual assignments - 25% (250 words each) due at the end of the Intensive subject,
• Field day report (500 words) - 10% due at the end of the Intensive subject,
• Comprehensive exam of lecture material - 25% (1.5 hours) last day of the Intensive subject,
• Major group assignment (1500 words + 10 minute presentation) - 40%, presentation last day of Intensive subject and report due 3 weeks after the Intensive subject.

None

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.