BRUCE R. HARTSOUGH, Professor

Ph.D., Agricultural Engineering, Auburn University, 1986
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
3052 Bainer Hall
Phone: 530-752-5714
Email: brhartsough@ucdavis.edu

Current Research

Professor Hartsough's research focuses on partial/selective harvesting of native forest stands, and on short-rotation plantation forestry. Projects include field studies, computer models, and prototype equipment development.

Several research projects in California and elsewhere have focused on methods to improve the health of naturally-regenerated stands that are overstocked and prone to wildfire. We are investigating the relative costs and environmental impacts of various harvesting methods, including fully mechanized systems for small trees, cable systems for steep terrain, and more traditional tractive systems.

For example, a research/demonstration project was conducted on several small ownerships in northeastern California to address fuel buildup and resulting fire hazard at the wildland/residential interface. Another, nationwide, multidisciplinary study investigated thinning, fire, and a combination of thinning and fire for improving forest health in fire-adapted forests.

We’ve developed a series of comprehensive harvesting cost models by combining data from an extensive range of previously published field studies. The latest model will assist managers of forests in the western states to plan fuel reduction operations including those funded through the Healthy Forest Restoration Act. These managers must consider numerous factors including site and stand conditions, property values and budget constraints. The cost-modeling software is part of a suite of tools that can be used to effectively make decisions on which areas to treat and how they should be thinned.

Short rotation plantations of fast-growing hardwoods such as eucalyptus or poplar can produce an order of magnitude more biomass than the average yield for the same area of natural conifer forest. The trees in these plantations are smaller and more uniform in size and spacing than those in natural stands, offering both challenges and opportunities. New equipment needs to be developed to reduce the cost of harvesting and processing short rotation trees for use in the paper industry. The residual limbs and bark can be used to produce electric power. Field data have been collected on prototype systems and on traditional equipment being used in new ways. Possible methods for improved processing are also under investigation.

Representative Recent Publications

Hartsough, B. R., X. Zhang, and R. D. Fight. 2001. Harvesting cost model for small trees in natural stands in the interior Northwest. Forest Products Journal 51(4):54-61.

Spinelli, R., and B. R. Hartsough. 2001. Extracting whole trees with a skidder and a front-end loader. Biomass & Bioenergy 21:425-431.

Hartsough, B. R., R. Spinelli, and S.J. Pottle. 2002. Delimbing hybrid poplar prior to processing with a flail/chipper. Forest Products Journal 52(4):85-93.

Spinelli, R., B. R. Hartsough, P.M.O. Owende, and S.M. Ward. 2002. Productivity and cost of mechanized whole-tree harvesting of fast-growing Eucalypt stands. Journal of Forest Engineering 13(2):49-60.

Hartsough, B. R. 2003. Economics of harvesting to maintain high structural diversity and resulting damage to residual trees. Western Journal of Applied Forestry 18(2):133-142.

McIver, J. D., P. W. Adams, J. A. Doyal, E. S. Drews, B. R. Hartsough, L. D. Kellogg, C. G. Niwa, R. Ottmar, R. Peck, M. Taratoot, T. Torgersen and A. Youngblood. 2003. Environmental effects and economics of mechanized logging for fuel reduction in northeastern Oregon mixed-conifer stands. Western Journal of Applied Forestry 18(4):238-249.

Puttock, D., R. Spinelli and B. R. Hartsough. 2005. Operational trials of cut-to-length harvesting of poplar in a mixed wood stand. Journal of Forest Engineering 16(1):39-49.

Membership in Professional Societies

American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
Council on Forest Engineering
Forest Products Society
Society of American Foresters

Courses Offered

EBS 1 - Foundations of Biological Systems Engineering
EBS 115 - Forest Engineering
ENG 106 - Engineering Economics
ENG 111 - Electric Power Equipment

Research Support

USDA Forest Service