How do wldfires influence harvesting productivity and volume recovery in cut-to-length mechanized operations?

Wildfires are among the most significant natural disturbances affecting boreal forests, yet their operational impacts on mechanized harvesting remain poorly quantified. This study evaluated the effects of wildfire burn category on harvesting productivity and volume recovery under operational conditions in Quebec, Canada. Over 800 stems were harvested across four burn categories: carbonized, red, affected and green (unburned). Harvesting productivity was assessed through a time-and-motion study combined with harvester on-board computer (OBC) data, while volume recovery was calculated as the ratio of harvested volume to standing merchantable volume per stem. Non-parametric statistical tests and regression analyses were used to compare harvesting productivity and volume recovery across burn categories. Results showed that harvesting productivity did not differ significantly among burn categories within the examined stem size range (≤0.20 m³/stem), indicating that wildfire severity alone did not reduce operational productivity. In contrast, volume recovery rates were significantly lower in burned categories compared to unburned stands, with reductions increasing with burn severity. These results suggest that post-fire economic losses are more strongly linked to reduced wood recovery than to decreased harvesting productivity. Overall, this study provides empirical evidence supporting the operational feasibility of harvesting in burned boreal stands, while emphasizing the need to account for burn-related wood losses in planning following wildfires. Future research using large-scale OBC datasets is recommended to further refine the evaluations of harvesting productivity and volume recovery across burn categories.