Posted on 07/02/2014 6:42:25 AM PDT by servo1969
Advantages of forestry mulching
By processing trees and other vegetation where they stand, mulching machines eliminate many of the steps involved in land clearing such as site prep, cutting/felling/hauling, and site cleanup. This also eliminates the need for multiple machines such as a bulldozer accompanied by some combination of excavators, tree shears, wood chippers or grinders, and hauling equipment. One simpler jobs only one mulching machine is required, reducing fuel requirements and emissions.
Some mulching machines also have the ability to operate on steep slopes and in small or tight areas, in poor ground conditions, and in wet or snowy weather.
Mulching machines are capable of clearing land of unwanted trees and brush with limited disturbance to soils or desirable vegetation.
Traditional land clearing methods often present an increased risk of erosion by pushing over trees, uprooting the stump and roots, and substantially disturbing soils.[citation needed] In contrast, mulching the vegetation leaves the soil structure intact. The mulched material can be left on the ground and will act as an erosion barrier while returning nutrients back into the soil through decomposition. Over time, grass will naturally grow through the mulch and can be maintained with mowing.
Disadvantages of forestry mulching
Depending on the size and orientation of the mulching head, forestry mulchers can only fell smaller trees. Mulchers with a mulching head that rotates about a vertical axis can typically handle trees up to 6-8 inches in diameter, while mulchers with a mulching head that rotates about a horizontal axis can handle trees up to 30 inches in diameter. Mulching trees at the upper end of this size range can be dangerous for both the equipment and the operator. Mulching areas with a variety of vegetation and terrain may require multiple pieces of equipment, including tracked mulching machines, excavator mulchers, and skid steer tractors equipped with mulching attachments.
Rocks and stones cannot be processed or moved by the machines, and the teeth grinding against rocky ground can both wear them out and cause a fire hazard. Smaller rocks and other debris can be thrown through the air, and while these are usually deflected by a protective shroud, they can present a danger to the operator and surrounding people and structures.
Even for the largest machines, mulching is only effective when less than 25 tons of vegetation or 100 trees are present per acre.
Although mulching is significantly faster and less labor-intensive than land clearing by hand, it requires the site to have road access for fueling and maintenance.
That’s what posting is for, so we don’t start to think that you’re just trying to lure us in to your website with a teaser headline.
Post the picture in the first place, if it’s interesting, we can decide for ourselves if we want to go to your site.
My friend does a lot of mulching at stop & shop plazas. He went out and bought a machine that sprays mulch through a hose. It holds about 5 yards and hooks up to the trailer hitch on the truck. Two guys could mulch a big plaza in a day with that machine.
Looks like an adapted long-wall mining excavator.
Servo1969 posted a couple pictures and the article. If you’re going to bitch about the video not being imbedded here, John Robinson is the man you want to talk to.
Ugly landscape? It will soon look better than if it’s logged.
The entire tree is mulched?
That’s a lot of horsepower and fuel being burned though I don’t mind. I mulch my garden with wood chips from the tree trimmers
Yeah, that’s pretty ugly too.
I guess the mulch breaks down faster than the general debris left after a logging operation.
Just glad I don’t have to rake it up...that’s a lot of Hefty Cinch Bags.
I have a neighbor that comes home from the bars very late and has a noisy car. Just thinking out loud here......
how does it work on spotted owls ?
Best not build on top of that mulch. It’s going to rot and settle.
You won’t have to rake it up. That’s the whole point. It will deteriorate much faster than the stumps and limbs left behind by the loggers. The mulch keeps the weeds down too. In less than a year you get a nice field. With logging you can see the debris for years.
The dude in Fargo needed one of these.
Never heard of them before today.
I just thought they were neat.
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