Technodiversity Glossary

The cable yarder is a machine used for the extraction of trees. Other machines that can be used for this sub-process are the cable skidder, grapple skidder, clam-bunk skidder, skidder with a loading crane, farm tractor equipped with a forwarding trailer, and forwarder.

The cable yarder extracts full trees and tree lengths from the stand (buffer 11 & 31) to the forest road (buffer 12 & 32).

The extraction takes place in a carrying movement. Therefore, a cable is stretched between the tower of the cable yarder, and a standing tree or a second, mobile tower. On this cable a carriage is riding which lifts the load into the air and carries it along the cable line. To have an undisturbed transportation of the load the cable yarding system is erected on corridors, which are free from trees.

The extraction with a cable yarder is soil friendly because the cable yarder does not move itself during the extraction process and the load is in the air during the transit. So, the corridor underneath the cable line does not experience any load. The negative aspect of the cable yarder is the time-consuming assembly and dismantling, which makes this extraction option expensive.

The cable yarder is primarily used in the mountains and in other rough terrain. Working with the cable yarder is considered as simple mechanized work.