Quantifying Harvesting Impacts using Soil Compaction and Disturbance Regimes at a Landscape Scale

Abstract

Several indicators have been identified for the conservation and maintenance of soil criterion in the Montreal Protocol. The objective of this study was to use soil compaction and disturbance measures to determine harvesting impacts at a landscape scale in the boreal forest of Saskatchewan. Forest harvesting impacts were studied pre and postharvest for five harvested sites by (i) sampling soil bulk density (Db) at prescribed grid‐points, and (ii) measuring soil disturbance regimes on two 30‐m transects at each grid‐point. Mean soil Db in the harvested area increased significantly (8–11%) from pre to postharvest conditions for the two winter‐harvested sites at both the 10‐ and 20‐cm depths, while two of the three summer harvested sites also showed significant Db increases (7–15%) at the 10‐cm depth. Combining all five sites, showed that after harvest 32% of all the grid‐points had an increased Db of >15%. Mean soil Db at a 10‐cm depth for roadways and landings was significantly higher (8–14%) than postharvest Db for postharvest levels at four of the five harvested sites. Surface soil disturbance regimes were higher for the summer‐harvested sites than that for the winter‐harvested sites. Landscape position showed no significant differences in Db between the shoulder, backslope, and footslope positions; however, within each landscape position, significant differences in Db were found between pre and postharvest conditions. Soil Db and soil disturbance regimes measured on a grid basis provided a simple, but reliable method for monitoring soil compaction and disturbance effects from harvesting at a landscape scale.

Aspen and white spruce productivity is reduced by organic matter removal and soil compaction

“…The forest floor removal combined with compaction would be most similar to roads within operational cutblocks, ranging from 3% to 5% of the cutblock area (Block et al 2002, MacIsaac et al 2006. Adjacent to roads, repeated machine traffic areas used for processing and loading of logs, but where forest floor would not be removed, can occupy from 4% to 5% (MacIsaac et al 2006) up to 10% to 20% (British Columbia Ministry of Forests, unpublished data) of the harvested area.…”

“…Adjacent to roads, repeated machine traffic areas used for processing and loading of logs, but where forest floor would not be removed, can occupy from 4% to 5% (MacIsaac et al 2006) up to 10% to 20% (British Columbia Ministry of Forests, unpublished data) of the harvested area. When all sources of harvesting disturbance are combined, up to 32% of a harvested opening can have bulk density increases greater than 15% (Block et al 2002). Puettmann et al (2008) used the assumptions that aspen height was only affected in absolute terms for the first 10 years or that the relative height difference was present at the end of the rotation to demonstrate "best case" and "worst case" scenarios.…”

The long-term effects of silvicultural thinning and partial cutting on soil compaction in red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) and northern hardwood stands in the northern Great Lakes Region of the United States

“…The severity of soil compaction is site-specific and influenced by slope, season of harvest, soil texture, and soil moisture, which can exacerbate or confound the impacts of heavy equipment on soil properties (Arikian et al 1999, Block et al 2002, Shaw and Carte 2002, Berger et al 2003. In a review of soil compaction studies, Graecen and Sands (1980) concluded that both thinning and clear-cut harvesting are forest management practices most likely to cause soil compaction, although quantitative data on the impact of thinning on soil compaction were not given.…”

“…Many studies have found increased soil bulk densities, greater soil PR, and reduced water infiltration rates after a single-cohort (clear-cut) timber harvest (e.g., Mace 1970;Miller et al 1996;Block et al 2002;Shaw and Carte 2002;Scott et al 2004). In contrast, few studies have addressed the effects of stand thinnings or partial cuts on soil compaction, and these have focused mostly on skid trails after one thinning (King and Haines 1979;Landsberg et al 2003).…”

Ground based operation effects on soil disturbance by steel tracked skidder in a steep slope of forest

“…Soil compaction results in an increase in bulk density (Block et al 2002;Demir et al 2007;Makineci et al 2007), reduction in macroporosity (Rohand et al 2004;Ampoorter et al 2007), saturated hydraulic conductivity (Wood et al 2003; Grace et al 2006), water content, infiltration , N mineralization and microbial number biomass and activity (Ares et al 2005;Tan et al 2008). Each of these features can potentially reduce the tree growth (Froehlich 1979;Corns 1998).…”