Mobile silvicultural apparatus and method for operating the same

A mobile silvicultural apparatus for use in a land of trees comprising mature trees and immature trees, the apparatus comprising:

• a steerable wheeled support frame comprising alignable front and rear units and a universal joint coupling the front unit to the rear unit, each of the front and rear units having a horizontally extending ground-clearing section positioned between about 0.5 to about 1.5 meters from ground, and first and second opposite vertical side sections, the ground-clearing sections and side sections defining a tunnel-shaped passage through which the immature trees are allowed to pass as the support frame travels thereover;
• the tunnel-shaped passage having a smooth configuration in order to minimize damages to the immature trees passing through the tunnel-shaped passage as the ground-clearing sections of the support frame travel over said immature trees;
• an articulated boom mounted to the support frame for selectively manipulating the mature trees, and comprising a harvester head selected from the group consisting of a multi-functional tree feller and a grapple for grappling a tree;
• a cabin mounted on the front unit for housing an operator of the mobile silvicultural apparatus;
• front and rear wheeled assemblies mounted respectively to the front and rear units of the support frame, the front wheeled assembly comprising left and right hydrostatic front motor-wheels respectively mounted to the vertical sections of the front unit;
• and the rear wheeled assembly comprising left and right rear wheels mounted respectively to the vertical sections of the rear section;
• motor means for imparting motion to the support frame, the motor means comprising a diesel engine operating hydraulic pumps operatively connected to the hydrostatic front motor-wheels for driving the same;
• and
• control means for controlling the steerable support frame, the motor means, and the articulated boom.