Applying Optimum Bucking Method in Producing Taurus Fir (Abies cilicica) Logs in Mediterranean Region of Turkey

In producing forest products, it is essential to buck trees into high quality logs with maximum value. Performing bucking in an optimum way is an important factor to increase the value in timber production. Computer-assisted methods using modern optimization techniques (i.e. network analysis, dynamic programming, and heuristic techniques) can provide the forest engineers with an optimum solution for bucking problems by quickly evaluating large number of bucking combinations for a single tree. In Turkey, bucking is generally performed based on loggers' experiences without any scientific approach. In this study, it was aimed to develop a stem-level optimum bucking algorithm that determines the optimum bucking pattern with maximum total stem value. The algorithm was implemented during a selective cutting of Taurus Fir (Abies cilicica) stands in the Baskonus Research and Application Forest of Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University (KSU), located in the city of Kahramanmaras in eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey. Dynamic programming (DP) method was used to develop the algorithm written with Microsoft Visual Basic (VB) Version 6.3 programming language. The results from the application indicated that using optimum bucking method increased the potential gross value and volume of the harvested trees by 9.31% and 4.18%, respectively, comparing with the traditional bucking method.