Forestry stump and root-plate augering - RSPB Forsinard Flows Reserve

Tender description

Tender For The Supply Of Forestry Stump And Root-Plate Augering And Reprofiling Works At Forsinard Flows Reserve The area to be treated within the Dyke plantation was harvested in 2021/2022 and subsequently has undergone brash and brash track removal. The stump auger is a new treatment which we wish to trial at Forsinard over a 6.99ha area. The treatment will involve an excavator fitted with a rotating stump auger which will move systematically across the site. The auger will cut down into all stumps and slowly shave the stump down completely until the peaty soils are reached. Once this is accomplished the auger will proceed to break up the rest of the root plate by augering around the remains of the stump before moving to the next stump. In order to get the best finish possible, the contractor will have to take time to ensure consistency across the entire area ensuring that any stump or root plates are broken down into sufficiently small pieces that the mix of peat and wood shavings produced can be reprofiled into the adjacent plough furrows. Care will be required to avoid damage to the machine where the tree’s root plate has grown near large rocks or geology. The augering treatment will then be followed by a reprofiling treatment. This will use an excavator with a bucket which will reprofile the plough ridge and augered wood into the plough furrow, without the use of dams (as the peat depth is too shallow at this site). The site will then be ground-smoothed by driving a tracked, low-ground-pressure excavator at right angles to the plough-lines to further flatten the topography and any tree material. The aim of this process will be to level the ridged ground that resulted from the ploughing operation during historical conifer planting, as well as further reducing voids and cracks in the peat which can reduce the ability of the soils to retain water.