Technical and economic analysis of semimechanized harvest of eucalyptus in different spacing

The objective of this study was to evaluate technically semi-mechanized forest cutting costs in eucalypt plantations in first rotation, average slope of 26.22º (58.2%), spacing 3 x 2.5 m, 3 x 3.33 m and 3 x 4 m, with volumes of 0,326, 0,361 and 0,370 m3 per tree, in the 1+1 system (one chainsaw operator and a helper). The results showed that the activities that consume more time in cutting and processing with the chainsaw Stihl MS360 are: displacement, bucking and 1st, 2nd and 3rd cut. Spaced at 3 x 2.5 m, average productivity of was 4.69 m3·h-1 at a production cost of 5.16 R$·m-3. In the 3 x 3.33 m spacing average productivity was 5.19 m3·h-1 and 4.66 R$·m-3 and in the 3 x 4 m spacing was 5.73 m3·h-1 and 4.22 R$·m-3. The item of greatest influence on operating costs was labor, with 75% of total costs. The wider spacing resulted in higherproductivity and lower production costs