Authors：Maryam Kooshki, Elyas Hayati, Nosratollah Rafatnia, Mohammad Taghi Ahmadi

Year：2012

    This study was performed to evaluate types of skid trails by considering the types of products (yield table) and to design skid trails in district 1 of Shast-Kallate Forests, Gorgan, northern Iran. Types of skid trails (machine skid trails and animal skidding paths) are very important for transporting forestry products. It is suggested that log products be extracted by machine skid trails and fuel wood and pulpwood by animal skidding paths. After determining the current skid trails by a global positioning system (GPS), a map of the skid trails was provided in a geographical information system (GIS); then harvest volumes and types of products in each compartment were extracted and gathered in a yield table. Types of current skid trails (machine skid trails and animal skidding paths) were evaluated by considering the types of products. According to the results of overlay maps, animal skidding paths were located in compartments with high harvest volumes and high slopes where trails were not suitable for extracting logs and lumber; therefore, machine skid trails should be designed for these compartments. The suggested skid trails were designed by considering harvest volumes, utilizable areas, slope, topography, soils and stream networks of each compartment. The advantage of this research is that the authors applied criteria of types of products to design and evaluate skid trails, which was not taken into account in previous research.