Estimated Erosion from Clearcut Timber Harvests in the Southeastern United States

Abstract

Timber harvests with inadequate forestry best management practices (BMPs) can accelerate soil erosion, which has been associated with reductions in water quality and site productivity. Previous studies affirm positive water quality effects accrued by harvesting with BMPs. However, few studies document erosion rates and masses associated with harvest and access network features (e.g., decks, roads, skid trails, stream crossings) across different southeastern regions. This research evaluated 109 recent harvests across eleven southeastern states and three topographically different regions (Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Mountains). Descriptive statistics of erosion for harvests and access features were developed from USLE-Forest model estimates. Harvests and access network areas were used in conjunction with erosion averages to calculate total erosion masses. Across the southeast, combined network features averaged nearly 12% of total harvest area yet produced approximately 48% of total site erosion due to disproportionately higher erosion rates. Regional differences indicated that the Mountain region had an average overall erosion rate of 6.8 t/ac/yr, whereas the Piedmont and Coastal Plain sites had lower average erosion rates of 2.7 and 2.2 t/ac/yr, respectively. Results suggest that additional BMP implementation strategies may be beneficial for erosion control from roads, skid trails, and stream crossings, particularly in erosive landscapes. Study Implications: Based on an evaluation of 109 recent harvests across the southeastern United States, access features including decks, roads, skid trails, and stream crossings averaged nearly 12% of total area, yet produced approximately 48% of total site erosion due to disproportionately higher erosion rates. The Mountain region had an average overall erosion rate of 6.8 t/ac/yr, whereas the Piedmont and Coastal Plain sites had lower average erosion rates of 2.7 and 2.2 t/ac/yr, respectively. This highlights the importance of harvest planning and minimizing bare soil areas, especially in the steep and challenging terrain of the Mountain region.

UAV Photogrammetry for Soil Surface Deformation Detection in a Timber Harvesting Area, South Korea

“…Forest operations such as clear-cutting cause disturbances in forest soil, primarily due to the use of forest operation machines [1][2][3]. In addition to direct effects such as soil surface deformation (SSD) caused by forest operation machines, forest soils become vulnerable to run-off due to the removal of forest canopies, which protect the soil surface from rainfall energy [4][5][6][7]. Erosion of forest areas negatively impacts forest soils, resulting in decreased soil fertility for reforestation and a reduction in water sources from the conducted operations [8][9][10][11].…”

A hot-spot analysis of forest roads based on soil erosion and sediment in Zagros forest lands, Iran

“…Unplanned road constructions destroy the unity of nature, collapse the life cycle of mountains, and cause large amounts of soil movement, leading to the destruction of animal and plant habitats, reduction of aesthetic values, and damage to sensitive areas (Burroughs and King 1989;Youse et al 2016). The construction and maintenance of forest roads are essential for forest management activities such as timber harvesting (Fielding et al 2022), re prevention (Vilar et al 2016), and recreation (Barber et al 2014). However, forest road networks can have signi cant impacts on the environment, especially on soil erosion and sedimentation (Parsakhoo et al 2014; Sekot et al 2021).…”