The work was carried out in natural forests of Pinus caribaea in areas of the forest company "La Palma" in the province of Pinar del Río in Cuba. The objective of the investigation was to minimize the cost of harvesting by combining the costs of haulage and road and load patio densities. In addition, the study also takes into consideration the interaction of costs of transportation and the thickness and quality of the layer of gravel on the road. The results of the investigation have shown a significant increase in the spacing between roads and load patios with the decrease of US$0.45/m³. It was possible to improve the quality of the layer of gravel on the road without changing the construction costs significantly, which led to a cost reduction of US$1.01/m³. The overall cost considering the new system decreases in US$1.46/m³. Another significant contribution is made by decreasing the impact to the ecosystem once the reduction on road density may reach around 44% in comparison to the current density.
Harvesting; road density; minumum cost
