A comparison of rubber-tyred and steel-tracked skidders on forest soil physical properties

Soil Research ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 1063 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. J. Sheridan

Compaction of a silty clay loam forest soil was compared for 2 types of log-skidding equipment, a rubber-tyred skidder and a flexible-steel-tracked skidder. Experiments involved the loaded skidders traversing marked laneways at zero, 2, 4, and 10 passes. Compaction was quantified in terms of 3 parameters: (1) bulk density to 25 cm depth measured gravimetrically, (2) penetration resistance using a field penetrometer, and (3) saturated hydraulic conductivity using a field rainfall simulator. Results showed no substantial difference in soil bulk density between the experimental treatments, regardless of skidder type or number passes. Penetration resistance of the traversed laneways was significantly higher than the surrounding undisturbed areas; however, there was no difference between skidder type. Rainfall simulation showed that the saturated hydraulic conductivity of all treatments was strongly reduced by trafficking, although this did not differ with skidder type. The results from this study highlight the dangers in assuming that reduced machine static ground pressures will automatically lead to reduced soil impacts. It is important to note that while this study did not find differences between the 2 skidder types when operated in a similar manner, differences in the operation of the two skidders may also influence impacts on soil properties.


Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia Toková ◽  
Dušan Igaz ◽  
Ján Horák ◽  
Elena Aydin

Due to climate change the productive agricultural sectors have started to face various challenges, such as soil drought. Biochar is studied as a promising soil amendment. We studied the effect of a former biochar application (in 2014) and re-application (in 2018) on bulk density, porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil water content and selected soil water constants at the experimental site in Dolná Malanta (Slovakia) in 2019. Biochar was applied and re-applied at the rates of 0, 10 and 20 t ha−1. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied annually at application levels N0, N1 and N2. In 2019, these levels were represented by the doses of 0, 108 and 162 kg N ha−1, respectively. We found that biochar applied at 20 t ha−1 without fertilizer significantly reduced bulk density by 12% and increased porosity by 12%. During the dry period, a relative increase in soil water content was observed at all biochar treatments—the largest after re-application of biochar at a dose of 20 t ha−1 at all fertilization levels. The biochar application also significantly increased plant available water. We suppose that change in the soil structure following a biochar amendment was one of the main reasons of our observations.



2002 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 499-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
E A Kenney ◽  
J W Hall ◽  
C. Wang

A national soil quality monitoring program was established in 1990 to address concerns that the quality of Canada's agricultural soils was in decline. The British Columbia benchmark site (01-BC) was established in 1991 and is located on the Pelly soil series (Orthic Humic Gleysol) supporting a corn-forage-pasture rotation in the Lower Mainland ecoregion. The objectives of this study were to report on the differences in: (1) the measured soil properties for the 5-yr period between baseline data collection in 1991 and resampling in 1996 and (2) the properties measured annually as indicators of soil compaction. A 25-m (25-m grid was used at the site to locate sampling points for bulk density and collecting soil samples of the Ap, BCg, and Cg horizons, as well as the measurement locations for saturated hydraulic conductivity and penetration resistance. A 5-yr interval sampling regime was used to sample the Ap, BCg, and Cg horizons and bulk density. Saturated hydraulic conductivity and penetration resistance were sampled annually from 1992 to 1998. Between 1991 and 1996 in the A horizons, pH, available P, C:N ratio and bulk density increased by 4.6, 7.8, 2.5, and 8%, respectively, and available K, total C and total N decreased by 21, 16.5, and 18.3%, respectively. In the BCg horizon, pH, available P and C:N ratio increased by 5, 126, and 8%, respectively, and the available K and total N both decreased by 21%. Bulk density remained unchanged. The assumption that the soil chemical properties in the Cg horizon would remain stable during the study period did not hold. The trends detected for the Cg horizon were similar to those measured for the upper two horizons. However, only the reductions in available K and total N and increases in C:N were significant. The changes in the soil physical properties measured at this site indicate that some soil compaction has occurred. Both bulk density at 20 cm and penetration resistance increased at all depths between 1994 and 1998, which coincided with the time period that grazing was included in the crop rotation. Field saturated hydraulic conductivity at 25 cm (Ap2 horizon), although highly variable from year to year also tended to be lower during the pasture rotation. The penetration resistance measurements, which detected changes at all depths, appeared to be a more sensitive indicator of soil compaction than either bulk density or field saturated hydraulic conductivity. Key words: Soil quality, soil monitoring, soil properties, soil compaction, temporal change



2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 378-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aitor García-Tomillo ◽  
Tomás de Figueiredo ◽  
Jorge Dafonte Dafonte ◽  
Arlindo Almeida ◽  
Antonio Paz-González

Abstract Soil compaction is a serious problem, which is aggravated due to its difficulty to locate and reverse. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is a non-invasive geophysical method that can be used to identify compacted areas, soil horizon thickness and assess soil physical properties. This study assesses the relationship between ERT and soil compaction. Data were collected on a 4-m transect in a fallow plot located at Braganca (Portugal). Measurements were performed before and after tillage and tractor passage. Soil samples at different depths (0-0.05, 0.05-0.1 and 0.1-0.2 m depth) were taken to determine: soil bulk density, porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity and soil water content. The effect of tillage and tractor passage was more significant on the first 0.05 m depth. In the wheel track areas, ERT suffered a reduction of about 40%, saturated hydraulic conductivity decreased by 70% and bulk density increased by 24%. These results proved that ERT can be a useful tool for assessing soil compaction.



Irriga ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karla Silva Santos Alvares de Almeida ◽  
Luciano Da Silva Souza ◽  
Vital Pedro Da Silva Paz ◽  
Fagner Taiano Dos Santos Silva ◽  
Davi Ney Santos ◽  
...  

VARIABILIDADE ESPACIAL DA CONDUTIVIDADE HIDRÁULICA DO SOLO SATURADO EM LATOSSOLO AMARELO DISTROCOESO, NO MUNICÍPIO DE CRUZ DAS ALMAS  KARLA SILVA SANTOS ALVARES DE ALMEIDA1; LUCIANO DA SILVA SOUZA1; VITAL PEDRO DA SILVA PAZ1; FAGNER TAIANO DOS SANTOS SILVA2; DAVI NEY SANTOS1 E JULIANA DA SILVA LOPES PEREIRA1 1Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia – UFRB, Rua Rui Barbosa, 710 – Campus Universitário – CEP 44380-000 – Cruz das Almas – BA, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] do Estado de Santa Catarina – UDESC, Centro de Ciências Agroveterinárias – CAV, Av. Luiz de Camões, 2090 – CEP 88520-000 -  Lages – SC, e-mail: [email protected]  1 RESUMO O objetivo desse trabalho foi caracterizar a variabilidade espacial da condutividade hidráulica do solo saturado (K0) utilizando dois métodos de laboratório e amostras com diferentes volumes em Latossolo Amarelo Distrocoeso localizado no Município de Cruz das Almas. Foram coletadas amostras com estrutura indeformada em dois tipos de anéis volumétricos com 0,081 m de altura e 0,070 m de diâmetro (≈312 cm3) e com 0,05 m de altura e de diâmetro (98 cm3). Nos mesmos pontos de amostragem da K0 foram coletadas amostras deformadas para quantificação de areia, silte, argila, porosidade total, macro e microporosidade, densidade do solo em uma malha amostral de 7 x 7 pontos espaçados em 2,0 x 2,0 m, totalizando uma área de 196,0 m². Os resultados foram submetidos à análise estatística exploratória e teste de normalidade de Shapiro-Wilk; posteriormente, verificou-se a dependência espacial pela análise geoestatística. Os resultados revelaram que para a profundidade de 0-0,15 m a condutividade hidráulica determinada no permeâmetro de carga constante no cilindro de volume maior apresentou menor coeficiente de variação, indicando uma melhor representatividade das amostras; a densidade do solo apresentou índice de dependência espacial moderada, com alcance de 1,22 m e semivariograma tipo esférico para a profundidade de 0-0,15m; para a profundidade de 0,15-0,30 o índice de dependência espacial foi forte, com alcance de 1,54 m e semivariograma tipo exponencial. Palavras-chave: condutividade hidráulica saturada, Tabuleiro Costeiro, geoestatística.  ALMEIDA, K. S. S. A.; SOUZA, L. S.; PAZ, V. P. S.; SILVA, F. T. S.; SANTOS, D. N.; PEREIRA, J. S. L.SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY OF SATURATED SOIL USING TWO LABORATORY METHODS AND SAMPLES WITH DIFFERENTS VOLUMES     2 ABSTRACT The objective of this work was to characterize the spatial variability of saturated hydraulic conductivity (K0) using two laboratory methods and samples with different volumes in Oxisoil Distrocoeso located in the city of Cruz das Almas. Deformed structural samples were collected in two types of volumetric rings with 0.081 m long and 0.070 m in diameter (312 cm3) and 0.05 m in height and diameter (98 cm3). In the same sampling points of K0 deformed samples were collected for quantification of sand, silt, clay, total porosity, macro and microporosity, bulk density in a sample grid of 7 x 7 points spaced at 2.0 x 2.0 m totaling an area of 196.0 m². The results were submitted to exploratory statistical analysis  and Shapiro-Wilk normality test; later, the spatial dependence was verified by geostatistical analysis. The results showed that for the depth of 0-0.15 m the hydraulic conductivity determined in the constant load permeameter in the higest volume  cylinder showed a lower coefficient of variation, indicating a better representativeness of the samples; soil bulk density showed moderate spatial dependence index, with a range of 1.22 m and pherical-type semivariogram to the depth of 0-0.15m; to the depth of 0.15-0.30 the spatial dependence index was strong, reaching 1.54 m and exponential semivariogram. Keywords: Saturated hydraulic conductivity, coastal plain, geostatistics



2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 230-241
Author(s):  
Daniel DeArmond ◽  
João B S Ferraz ◽  
Fabiano Emmert ◽  
Adriano José Nogueira Lima ◽  
Niro Higuchi

Abstract In the forests of the Amazon Basin, there are still few studies on soil compaction caused by logging activities. This study evaluated an operation located on the property of a timber company in Central Amazonia, which uses harvesting techniques based on the harvesting system developed by the Centre for Agricultural Research in Suriname. The timber-extraction method employed by the timber company consists of three activities: (1) skid trail construction with a track-type tractor, (2) log winching with a winch attached to the tractor, and (3) log skidding with a rubber-tired skidder. Soil bulk density and soil penetration resistance were quantified to 20 cm in depth. After a single tractor ingress and egress for trail construction, the soil incurred an increased root growth-limiting bulk density and penetration resistance. However, log winching did not cause significant soil compaction. The conclusions of the study were: (1) the greatest impact from this harvesting system came from the skid trail construction, (2) the technique of log winching limited forest floor compaction and disturbance that damages forest regeneration, and (3) log skidding during dry soil conditions limited increases in compaction and track formation.



2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 849-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
R A Tarpey ◽  
M F Jurgensen ◽  
B J Palik ◽  
R K Kolka

Periodic silvicultural thinnings (23.0, 27.6, 32.1 m2 ha-1 residual basal area) in a red pine stand growing on a sandy soil in north-central Minnesota over a 57-yr period increased soil compaction as the intensity of the thinning treatment increased. Of the three different methods used to measure soil compaction (bulk density, penetration resistance, and saturated hydraulic conductivity), saturated hydraulic conductivity was the most sensitive, decreasing by 60% in the 23.0 m2 ha-1 basal area thinning treatment, as compared with the uncut control. Soil bulk density measurements were more variable, but generally increased with increased thinning intensity. Few differences in soil penetration resistance were found among the three thinning treatments. In contrast, no evidence of soil compaction was detected in a northern hardwoods stand growing on a rocky loam soil in north-central Wisconsin that had three thinning treatments (13.8, 17.2, 20.6 m2 ha-1 residual basal area), a two- stage shelterwood harvest, and a 20-cm-diameter limit cut over a 50-yr period. With the increased demand for forest products, fuel reduction operations in high fire-risk stands, and biomass removal for energy production, more information is needed on the impact of multiple stand entries on soil compaction, and if compaction occurs, whether it will affect long-term soil productivity. Key words: Soil physical properties, bulk density, soil penetration resistance, hydraulic conductivity



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