Soil disturbance by cut-to-length machinery on mid-grained soils

Sirén, Matti; Ala‐Ilomäki, Jari; Lindeman, Harri; Uusitalo, Jori; Kiilo, Kalle E.K.; Salmivaara, Aura; Ryynänen, Ari

doi:10.14214/sf.10134

Cited by 19 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 39 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Logging on frozen soil covered by snow is more effective, as it causes less damage to the soil surface (Modry & Hubeny 2003, Susnjar et al 2006, Ilintsev et al 2018. However, climate change has reduced the duration of the soil-freezing period, shifting the timing of both its onset and its end (Toivioa et al 2017, Sirén et al 2019. This impacts the timing of logging operations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The natural recovery of disturbed soil, plant cover and trees after clear-cutting in the boreal forests, Russia

Ilintsev¹,

Богданов²,

Наквасина³

et al. 2020

iForest

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Biogeosciences and Forestry Biogeosciences and Forestry The natural recovery of disturbed soil, plant cover and trees after clear-cutting in the boreal forests, Russia Aleksey Ilintsev (1-2) , Alexander Bogdanov (1-2) , Elena Nakvasina (2) , Irina Amosova (3) , Sergey Koptev (2) , Sergey Tretyakov (2) This study aims to determine the impact of forest harvesting machinery on the temporarily moist soil of spruce forests (Picea abies Karst.) during the summer. For research purposes, we investigated 23 sites of the boreal forest in the European North of Russia (Arkhangelsk region) where logging operations had been carried out using harvesters and forwarders (CTL, cut-to-length harvesting). In the 15 years after logging, the sites were monitored for changes in physical soil properties and the depth/width of ruts and vegetation. In freshly cut areas, the depth of the ruts was linked to the amount of logging residue that had been used to strengthen skidding trails. After 15 years, the ruts were smooth but had not disappeared entirely. The average depth of the ruts decreased from 36 cm to 18 cm during the period under review. At a depth of 0-10 cm, the soil bulk density of the section between the control area and the wheel track increased by 19-27% within the first two years. At a depth of 10-20 cm, the soil bulk density only increased by 16-17% within the two-year period. After 15 years, the soil bulk density had decreased to the extent that there were no signs of heavy machinery movement. The natural restoration of vegetation in the ruts was affected by the presence of stagnant water in the initial post-logging period. Ruderal species and species with broad ecological amplitude to environmental factors grew over the skid trails. 15 years after logging, this overgrowth had stabilised, with the biodiversity level in the control area approaching its pre-logging state. Primarily, the renewal of the cutting areas occurred through species such as birch (Betula pendula Roth.) and aspen (Populus tremula L.). The highest amount of undergrowth (more than 30,000 ha-1) was detected 6-8 years after logging. This then decreases in areas that were cut down earlier. There are environmental consequences of clearcutting (using the CTL system) on temporarily moist soil. To prevent the formation of deep ruts, it is recommended to leave 15-20 kg m-2 of felling residue.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The natural recovery of disturbed soil, plant cover and trees after clear-cutting in the boreal forests, Russia

Ilintsev¹,

Богданов²,

Наквасина³

et al. 2020

iForest

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A similar conclusion was reached by Saarilahti [32], who proved that the first 15 cm below the surface is the most important soil layer from the point of view of the movement of vehicles used in the timber harvesting process. Numerous studies [49][50][51] concerning the depth of ruts formed in the harvesting process clearly confirm that, under conditions present in Europe, the impact of machines on forest soils is really limited to the top 10-15 cm layer.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

The Accessibility of Post-Fire Areas for Mechanized Thinning Operations

Kulak

Sowa

Szewczyk

et al. 2020

Forests

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In 1992, in Southern Poland, large areas of Silesian forests were affected by the country’s largest forest fire. Stands introduced in the 9000-ha post-fire region are currently undergoing early thinning. Due to the scope of these treatments, the chance for their timely implementation is ensured only by the application of cut-to-length (CTL) technologies, i.e., with the use of harvesters and forwarders. The use of CTL technologies may, however, be difficult due to the fire history of these stands, which could affect the bearing capacity of their soils. The objective of this study is to determine the accessibility of stands for forest machines in relation to the bearing capacity of the soils and changes in soil compaction in the post-fire sites. Soil compaction was measured in terms of penetrometer resistance in the stands introduced in the post-fire area in question, as well as in control stands growing on five different soil types. It was shown that in the topsoil layer—from 8 to 18 cm thick depending on the soil type—differences in soil compaction in the post-fire and control areas were relatively small. The impacts of the forest fire—manifested as a significant increase in the compaction of the forest soils—were still visible, but only in the deeper layers of the soil profile. In all of the compared pairs of forest compartments located in the stands regenerated after the fire, significantly higher values of cone indexes (CI) were found. The average value of this index in the post-fire stands was 2.15 MPa, while in the control stands it was 1.60 MPa, which indicates that in both groups of stands the bearing capacity of the soils should not limit the accessibility for vehicles used for timber harvesting and extraction.

show abstract

“…We believe that model 1 where VWC, cumulative mass of machine passes, BD and thickness of the humus layer are the main predictors is versatile enough to be utilized in various circumstances of forest soils where the inorganic layer is comprised of fine particles. The model performance in comparison to the models presented by Allman (2017), Sirén et al (2019b) in finegrained and Sirén et al (2019a) in middle grained soils is illustrated in Fig. 4, and the summary of the parameters used in these models is shown in Table 6.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting rut depth induced by an 8-wheeled forwarder in fine-grained boreal forest soils

Uusitalo

Ala‐Ilomäki

Lindeman

et al. 2020

Annals of Forest Science

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

& Key message Rut depth in fine-grained boreal soils induced by an 8-wheeled forwarder is best predicted with soil moisture content, cumulative mass of machine passes, bulk density and thickness of the humus layer. & Context Forest machines are today very heavy and will cause serious damage to soil and prevent future growth if forest operations are carried out at the wrong time of the year. Forest operations performed during the wettest season should therefore be directed at coarse-grained soils that are not as prone to soil damage. & Aims The study aimed at investigating the significance of the most important soil characteristics on rutting and developing models that can be utilized in predicting rutting prior to forest operations. & Methods A set of wheeling tests on two fine-grained mineral soil stands in Southern Finland were performed. The wheeling experiments were conducted in three different periods of autumn in order to get the largest possible variation in moisture content. The test drives were carried out with an 8-wheeled forwarder. & Results Soil moisture content is the most important factor affecting rut depth. Rut depth of an 8-wheeled forwarder in finegrained boreal soil is best predicted with soil moisture content, cumulative mass of machine passes, bulk density and thickness of the humus layer. & Conclusion The results emphasize the importance of moisture content on the risk of rutting in fine-grained mineral soils, especially with high moisture content values when soil saturation reaches 80%. The results indicate that it is of high importance that soil type and soil wetness can be predicted prior to forest operations.

show abstract

Soil disturbance by cut-to-length machinery on mid-grained soils

Cited by 19 publications

References 39 publications

The natural recovery of disturbed soil, plant cover and trees after clear-cutting in the boreal forests, Russia

The natural recovery of disturbed soil, plant cover and trees after clear-cutting in the boreal forests, Russia

The Accessibility of Post-Fire Areas for Mechanized Thinning Operations

Predicting rut depth induced by an 8-wheeled forwarder in fine-grained boreal forest soils

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About