Abstract:Significant erosion occurred from recently constructed forest logging roads and skid trails in a small headwater catchment in Peninsular Malaysia. Soil loss was estimated by measuring dimensions of all significant rills and gullies along the road, as well as by measuring height of preserved soil pedestals in sidecast and fill material and on skid trails. Estimates of surface erosion from logging roads and skid trails were 272 š 20 t ha 1 year 1 and 275 š 20 t ha 1 year 1 respectively. However, owing to lack of connectivity of skid trails to the stream, much of the sediment mobilized on skid trails was stored either on adjacent hillslopes or the trails themselves, rather than being transported to the stream system, as was the case for the road. Steeper skid trails (>20% gradient) had slightly higher erosion rates (320 š 24 t ha 1 year 1 ) than trails with gentler gradients (245-264 t ha 1 year 1 ). Some 60% of the soil loss on logging roads comes from erosion of the running surface. Disturbed cut and fill material along the road supplied the remaining 40% of the soil loss from roads. Roads and skid trails had no designed drainage systems; runoff discharged onto the hillslope at 25 major discharge nodes from the logging road (690 m total length) and at 34 nodes from skid trails (2300 m). Sediment pathways were either fully or moderately connected to headwater channels at 64% of the logging road nodes, but at only 26% of the nodes emanating from skid trails. A detailed sediment budget revealed that 78% of the soil loss from the road system (including log landings) was delivered to the stream in the first 16 months after logging began. Most (90%) of the deposition from skid trails occurred below just three discharge nodes. Runoff from and onto skid trails often exacerbated the sediment connectivity to channels. Clearly, sediment discharge from logging roads was more highly connected to the stream than discharge from skid trails. Once in the channel, much of this sediment was temporarily stored in the floodplain and behind woody debris.

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It is important to understand the characteristics of Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi) seedlings that allow them to grow vigorously after planting and quickly exceed the height of surrounding vegetation, resulting in lower weeding costs. Seven stock types, including bareroot and container-grown seedlings, were planted in two plots with different mechanical-site-preparation (MSP) methods and evaluated for survival, height, and root collar diameter (RCD) for four consecutive years. Three-year-old bareroot seedlings, which were one year older and larger than normal, had low survival rates in the mulcher MSP. Initial seedling height significantly differed among the seven stock types, while almost no significant differences were observed after four growing seasons. Model analyses showed that initial seedling height and RCD had a significant effect on seedling height after planting until the second growing season, while the effect of planted seedling age and plot became increasingly significant after the third growing season. The difference in seedling type, bareroot versus container-grown seedlings, had no effect on the seedling height during the four growing seasons after planting. A decision tree analysis suggests that the seedlings with sufficiently large RCD and young age, regardless of seedling type, can grow taller than surrounding vegetation more quickly.

To prevent soil runoff from logging roads and skid trails, buffer zones are commonly established along both sides of streams. These buffers range in width from 10 to 100 m from the center of the stream, depending on stream width, (from 1 to > 40 m) as dictated by the Reduced-Impact Logging Guidelines for Lowland and Hill Dipterocarp Forests in Indonesia. In the Bukit Tarek Experimental Watershed in Malaysia, sediment accumulations were observed along narrow streams after logging despite the presence of 20-m-wide buffer zones, double the width set out in the guidelines. Thus, we examined erosion-accumulation depths on different slopes in 20-m-wide buffer zones to clarify the spatial effects on sediment discharge, particularly as it relates to the microtopography and the vegetation cover, including fallen trees. Some of the accumulation depths at lower elevations and along streams were small, whereas on steep concave slopes and hollows that extend to streams, large accumulations were observed 1 year after logging. These findings indicated that, although a 20-m-wide buffer zone may be partly effective at preventing sediment discharge, it is not adequate on concave slopes (lower side-hollows and channel walls) where surface flows often converge. We compared several physical properties of the surface soil in accumulated areas relative to undisturbed areas and demonstrated that bulk density was larger and total porosity and coarse porosity were smaller in the accumulated soils, especially on lower side-hollows. These results indicate that soils accumulated on concave slopes would accelerate the occurrence of surface flow. Tree distribution was not dense in the buffer zones, but fallen trees and the relatively dense understory vegetation including rattans and palms partly prevented the discharge of sediment into streams. Our findings suggested that 20-mwide buffer zones with dense fallen trees and understory vegetation are partly sufficient to prevent sediment discharge; however, along steep concave slopes and hollows where rain water converges, wider and thicker buffer zones are needed.Discipline: Forestry and forest products Additional key words: fallen tree, physical property, soil runoff, vegetation cover