Prediction of Forest Biomass Resources and Harvesting Cost Using GIS

Nowadays, excessive using of fossil fuel contributes to global warming. Also, this phenomenon increases steadily. Therefore forest biomass from logging residues has received attention. The goal of this study was to determine the sustainability and economic feasibility of forest-biomass energy source. Accordingly, forest biomass resource was calculated, and harvesting and transporting machines which can be used in investing area were chosen, when using forest biomass as energy source. And then through these data, the harvesting cost was decided. The forest biomass resource calculated, thinned trees and logging residues, was 37,330.23 $m^3$ and 14,073.60 ton, respectively. When harvesting timber in each sub-compartment, the average thinned trees yield was 120.73 $m^3$ , and tree logging residues was 402.80 ton. The use of tower yarder as harvesting and transporting equipments in study area was 85.4% and 66.7%, respectively, in up hill and down hill yarding. The average harvesting cost of biomass in the possibility area of timber yarding operation was expensive as 81,757 won/ $m^3$ , 85,434 won/m3 and 50,003 won/ton, respectively, in thinned trees and logging residue. If using data from this research analysis, tree could be felled by choosing sub-compartment.