Methods of Protection Forest Soils during Logging Operations (Review)

Public opinion has become increasingly critical of current logging methods and technologies, and there is a demand for standards to guide the operations of environmentally impactful industries. For many years, numerous researchers have studied the impact of logging on forest soils, revealing that there is a high risk of damaging forest soil during forest operations and terrain transport. Here we analyse and review a total of 105 publications in this area. This large body of work demonstrates the scientific interest that this field has attracted. Despite this, important areas of uncertainty concerning the impact of forest harvesting still remain. In particular, changes in soil conditions can affect soil properties in ways that are not well understood, with possible impacts on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils as well as the structure of the soil cover. While it is difficult to fully eliminate the negative impact of forest operations on forest soils, their adverse environmental consequences should be minimised because soil plays a vital role in tree regeneration and helps determine the productivity of future forest stands. Some of the most frequently cited measures and effective technological solutions to minimize damage to forest soils involve taking terrain and different technical solutions into account when organising logging operations. Potentially helpful technical solutions include selecting machines and mechanisms suitable for the site conditions, using larger and/or low-pressure tyres, using tyre pressure control, using anti-skid tracks, using track belts, meliorating wet areas, and using logging machinery incorporating global positioning systems and geographic information systems. Planning measures that can help minimize soil damage include choosing a suitable wood harvesting system and technology, accounting for seasonal factors when planning logging operations, planning networks of roads and trails in advance, leaving wood residues or mats on soil surface, training forest specialists, and reducing the number of machine passes over skid trails and strip roads. Despite active interest in applying sparing methods of wood harvesting, uptake of measures designed to reduce negative impacts on forest soils after logging has been limited. This may be due to a lack of scientific and technical information and the high cost of implementing best management practices. Moreover, economic factors and production plans may require wood harvesting throughout the year, irrespective of conditions. For citation: Ilintsev A.S., Nakvasina E.N., Högbom L. Methods of Protection Forest Soils during Logging Operations (Review). Lesnoy Zhurnal [Russian Forestry Journal], 2021, no. 5, pp. 92–116. DOI: 10.37482/0536-1036-2021-5-92-116

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SOIL CONDITIONS OF FOREST VEGETATION GROWTH OF NORTHERN VOLGA

Vestnik of Kazan state agrarin university ◽

10.12737/3822 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 112-116

Author(s):

Жубрин ◽

Denis Zhubrin ◽

Сабиров ◽

Ayrat Sabirov

Keyword(s):

Forest Soils ◽

Forest Ecosystems ◽

Biological Diversity ◽

Basic Research ◽

Economic Assessment ◽

Forest Vegetation ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Vegetation Growth ◽

Wide Range ◽

The Impact

Conducting soil studies are relevant in determining the subordination of forest types and biodiversity of vegetation to soil taxa, in determining the dependence of basic forest stand productivity from soil conditions, in creating a land registry and economic assessment of forest land, in studying the soil evolution of forest plantations under the impact of anthropogenic influences. Soil is the most important environmental factor in shaping the productivity and biodiversity of forest phytocenosis. The study of forest soils is also important in terms of basic research of their genesis, evolution. The article presents the results of research of soil conditions of vegetation growth of forest ecosystems of northern regions of Volga of the Republic of Tatarstan. The main types of forest soils are characterized in the paper. The studied forest formations grow on various soils on genesis and forest vegetation properties: sod-podzol, gray forest, brown forest, brown forest sandy, alluvial meadow, rendziny soil. The granulometric structure of soils varies from sandy to the clay. The well structured soils are formed on loamy layers under forest phytocenosis canopy. Pine and spruce ecosystems have a medi-decomposed litter of moder and multi-moder types; linden, oak, birch and aspen biogeocoenoses have strong-decomposed litter of multi type, that characterizes the intense biological cycle of substances in forest ecosystems. The wide range of place conditions of territories causes the biological diversity of forest vegetation at the level of species and ecosystems.

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THE IMPACT OF UNREGULATED FACTOR INFLUENCE ON WINTER WHEAT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Environment Technology Resources Proceedings of the International Scientific and Practical Conference ◽

10.17770/etr2009vol1.1093 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 1 ◽

pp. 92

Author(s):

Gundega Dinaburga ◽

Dainis Lapiņš ◽

Andris Bērziņš

Keyword(s):

Winter Wheat ◽

Growth And Development ◽

Geographic Information ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Global Positioning Systems ◽

Wheat Growth ◽

Crop Cultivation ◽

Positioning Systems ◽

Global Positioning ◽

The Impact

The modern meaning of accurate crop cultivation is closely associated with the new information technologies - geographic information and global positioning systems. Latvia has not published the results of research on soil conditions and the impact of unregulated factors of production conditions on winter wheat growth and yield. Analysis of results of studies aimed to clarify the difference of soil treatment facilities, as the criteria for the treatment of soil using soil characterizing Non-plant growth and development factors. Investigations were carried out in 2005 – 2007 on the production plantations of the Kurpnieki field, the Vecauce Study and Research Farm of the Latvia University of Agriculture. The results, while on a previous year, research on soil management measures to optimize the opportunities associated with global positioning systems, precision field management implementation practice shows that in order to obtain objective indicators and to gain the desired results, it was not enough for one season observation, since a large role in shaping the harvest is the meteorological conditions during the growing period. Unregulated factors: organic matter content, Ap horizon thickness, as well as the relative height above sea-level properties of materials research is the prerequisite for geographic information system-based resource-saving cultivation technology field-crop cultivation.

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Toxicological Assessment of the Impact of Metallurgical Industry Waste on the Environmental Properties of Light Gray Forest Soils

Ecology and Industry of Russia ◽

10.18412/1816-0395-2020-6-54-59 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (6) ◽

pp. 54-59

Author(s):

L.P. Stepanova ◽

A.V. Pisareva ◽

V.E. Tsukanavichute

Keyword(s):

Forest Soils ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Metallurgical Industry ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Toxicological Assessment ◽

Industry Waste ◽

Natural Processes ◽

Gray Forest Soils ◽

Environmental Properties ◽

The Impact

A comprehensive assessment of the degree of degradation of light gray forest soils and their environmental sustainability to natural processes and regimes, anthropogenic stresses occurring in the soil profile is presented. Toxicological study shown soil conditions in the areas of technogenic impact of dump slag of industrial aluminum casting waste in the Oryol region. Studies of the impact of slag dumps on the environment, in particular the effect on soil, water and vegetation cover, are given.

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Impact of Shortened Winter Road Access on Costs of Forest Operations

Forests ◽

10.3390/f10050447 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 447 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Tevfik Z. Kuloglu ◽

Victor J. Lieffers ◽

Axel E. Anderson

Keyword(s):

General Circulation ◽

Unit Cost ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

General Circulation Models ◽

Forest Harvesting ◽

Frozen Soil ◽

Annual Number ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Frozen Ground ◽

The Impact

A significant portion of the forest harvesting in the cooler regions of North America occurs in the winter when the ground is frozen and can support machine traffic. Climate change may influence the cost of forestry operations by reducing the period of winter access in those cold regions. In this study, we examined the impact of a shortened period of frozen ground conditions on logging operation and costs. To adapt to shorter period of frozen soil conditions, logging contractors might need to provide more machines and labor to complete logging in a shorter period of frozen conditions. The objectives were to calculate the costs of logging operations of a hypothetical forestry company in Alberta, Canada under two conditions: first, when the wood was hauled to the mill directly; and second, when part of the wood was hauled to satellite yards close to the logging area, thereby minimizing the annual number of idle hauling trucks. General Circulation Models were used to predict future winter weather conditions. Using the current type of harvesting machines and hauling directly to the mill, the unit cost of logging operations ($/m3) was projected to increase by an average of 1.6% to 2.5% in 2030s, 2.8% to 5.3% in the 2050s and 4.8% to 10.9% in the 2080s compared to the base year of 2015–2016. With use of satellite yards during the winter logging, the total logging cost will increase over direct haul, by 1.8% to 2.8% in the 2030s, 3.1% to 5.7% in the 2050s and 5.2% to 11.4% in the 2080s. Using satellite yards, however, will provide year-around employment for hauling truckers and more consistent and reliable hauling operations.

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The impact of acid deposition and forest harvesting on lakes and their forested catchments in south central Ontario: a critical loads approach

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ◽

10.5194/hess-6-833-2002 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 6 (5) ◽

pp. 833-848 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

S. A. Watmough ◽

P. J. Dillon

Keyword(s):

Acid Deposition ◽

Forest Soils ◽

Critical Loads ◽

Base Cation ◽

Forest Harvesting ◽

Case Scenario ◽

Forested Catchments ◽

South Central ◽

The Impact ◽

Sswc Model

Abstract. The impact of acid deposition and tree harvesting on three lakes and their representative sub-catchments in the Muskoka-Haliburton region of south-central Ontario was assessed using a critical loads approach. As nitrogen dynamics in forest soils are complex and poorly understood, for simplicity and to allow comparison among lakes and their catchments, CLs (A) for both lakes and forest soils were calculated assuming that nitrate leaching from catchments will not change over time (i.e. a best case scenario). In addition, because soils in the region are shallow, base cation weathering rates for the representative sub-catchments were calculated for the entire soil profile and these estimates were also used to calculate critical loads for the lakes. These results were compared with critical loads obtained by the Steady State Water Chemistry (SSWC) model. Using the SSWC model, critical loads for lakes were between 7 and 19 meq m-2yr-1 higher than those obtained from soil measurements. Lakes and forests are much more sensitive to acid deposition if forests are harvested, but two acid-sensitive lakes had much lower critical loads than their respective forested sub-catchments implying that acceptable acid deposition levels should be dictated by the most acid-sensitive lakes in the region. Under conditions that assume harvesting, the CL (A) is exceeded at two of the three lakes and five of the six sub-catchments assessed in this study. However, sulphate export from catchments greatly exceeds input in bulk deposition and, to prevent lakes from falling below the critical chemical limit, sulphate inputs to lakes must be reduced by between 37% and 92% if forests are harvested. Similarly, sulphate leaching from forested catchments that are harvested must be reduced by between 16 and 79% to prevent the ANC of water draining the rooting zone from falling below 0 μeq l-1. These calculations assume that extremely low calcium leaching losses (9–27 μeq l-1) from forest soils can be maintained without any decrease in forest productivity. Calcium concentrations in the three lakes have decreased by between ∼10 and 25% over the past 20 years and calculations assume that calcium concentrations in lakes can fall to around 30% of their current values without any harmful effects on biota. Both these assumptions require urgent investigation. Keywords: acid deposition, calcium, critical loads, forests, harvesting, lakes

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Soil Compaction after Increasing the Number of Wheeled Tractors Passes on Forest Soils in West Carpathians

Forests ◽

10.3390/f13010109 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 109

Author(s):

Michal Allman ◽

Zuzana Dudáková ◽

Martin Jankovský ◽

Mária Vlčková ◽

Vladimír Juško ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bulk Density ◽

Forest Soils ◽

Penetration Resistance ◽

Soil Bulk Density ◽

Soil Disturbance ◽

Forest Harvesting ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Surface Layers ◽

Technical Parameters ◽

West Carpathians

Soil disturbance and compaction are inherent in ground-based harvesting operations. These changes are affected by numerous factors, related mainly to the technical parameters of the machines, soil conditions, and the technology used. This study aimed to analyze the changes of surface layers of soil caused by skidder traffic without loads on the Cambisols of Western Carpathians. We observed changes in the soil bulk density and penetration resistance. The results showed that only machine traffic caused a 0.32 to 0.35 (g cm−3) increase in soil bulk density. Besides machine traffic, bulk density was affected by soil moisture content. Penetration resistance of soil increased by 0.15 to 1.04 (MPa) after traffic of 40 machines. Penetration resistance showed a lower increase after traffic, and regression and correlation analysis proved a relationship between penetration resistance, skeleton content, and penetration depth, besides the number of machine passes (r = 0.33–0.55). Observing the changes in the physical properties of soils caused by machine traffic allows for a more detailed view of the effects of forest harvesting machinery on forest soils.

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Origin of the lichen woodland at its southern range limit in eastern Canada: the catastrophic impact of insect defoliators and fire on the spruce-moss forest

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x99-207 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 288-305 ◽

Cited By ~ 86

Author(s):

Serge Payette ◽

Najat Bhiry ◽

Ann Delwaide ◽

Martin Simard

Keyword(s):

Boreal Forest ◽

Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽

Plant Macrofossils ◽

Organic Soil ◽

Tree Regeneration ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Range Limit ◽

Eastern Canada ◽

Lichen Woodland ◽

The Impact

The lichen woodland is one of the most important forest ecosystems in North America, dominating the central part of the boreal forest. The southernmost lichen woodland is paradoxically in the heart of the southern boreal forest. This distribution prompted this study aiming to identify the factors responsible for the inception and development of the lichen woodland at its southern range limit in eastern Canada. We tested the hypothesis that the southern lichen-spruce woodland is a regressive, post-fire type of the spruce-moss forest. We studied adjacent lichen-spruce and spruce-moss stands growing under similar soil conditions. We reconstructed the recent history of spruce-moss forest transformation to lichen woodland using tree size, tree ring patterns, and macrofossil analysis of organic soil. All the plant macrofossils buried in the unburned organic mat below the charcoal layer of the last fire corresponded to a feather-moss forest assemblage and included head capsules of the spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.)) or European spruce sawfly (Gilpinia hercyniae Hartig.). The impact of combined insect and fire disturbances translates into a dramatic decrease in post-fire tree regeneration of the forest inducing the shift to lichen woodland. The inception of the southern lichen woodland highlights the fragility of the spruce-moss forest even in the core area of the southern commercial boreal forest.

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PROSPECTS OF APPLICATION OF ASSEMBLY ASPHALT CONCRETE PLATE REINFORCED BY POLYMER LAYERS IN THE DESIGN OF TRANSPORTATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF FOREST HANDLING

10.34220/mmeitsic2021_160-166 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

A. Sharow

Keyword(s):

Forest Soils ◽

Asphalt Concrete ◽

Building Materials ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Technological Processes ◽

Temporal Placement ◽

Ability To Regenerate ◽

The Stability ◽

Impact Of Technology ◽

The Impact

Low bearing capacity of soils, thin easily vulnerable soil cover determine the need to take into account soil and soil conditions, damage to the fertile layer from the impact of technology in the process of planning the spatial and temporal placement of logging and designing transport and technological processes in order to preserve conditions for reforestation and preserve biodiversity. Taking the stability of forest soils and soils, when exposed to logging and forestry equipment, the ability to regenerate the soil and restore conditions for natural reforestation, the forests of the European-Ural region are divided into five classes. The main indicators of the classification of the resistance of forest soils and soils to the technological process of logging are deformability, compaction, fertility and reforestation capacity of soils. The low quality of logging highways with a high axle load and an increase in logging volumes requires a more accelerated development of the industry of road-building materials and products, designed for maximum mechanization and industrialization of their production. A prefabricated pavement slab (PSP) made of asphalt concrete, reinforced with at least two layers of polymer reinforcement, can be manufactured in an industrial environment subject to all the required technological standards and conditions, which will allow setting the required strength characteristics.

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The methodological approach for the determination of the pressure of artificial raindrops as a question of the theory of splash soil erosion

Melioration and Water Management ◽

10.32962/0235-2524-2019-1-24-28 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 24-28

Author(s):

Mihail Zver'kov

Keyword(s):

Block Diagram ◽

Methodological Approach ◽

Control Measures ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Effective Pressure ◽

Long Distance ◽

Splash Erosion ◽

Rain Drops ◽

Artificial Rain ◽

The Impact

To the article the results of the theoretical and experimental researches are given on questions of estimates of the dynamic rate effect of raindrop impact on soil. The aim of this work was to analyze the current methods to determine the rate of artificial rain pressure on the soil for the assessment of splash erosion. There are the developed author’s method for calculation the pressure of artificial rain on the soil and the assessment of splash erosion. The study aims to the justification of evaluation methods and the obtaining of quantitative characteristics, prevention and elimination of accelerated (anthropogenic) erosion, the creation and the realization of the required erosion control measures. The paper considers the question of determining the pressure of artificial rain on the soil. At the moment of raindrops impact, there is the tension in the soil, which is called vertical effective pressure. It is noted that the impact of rain drops in the soil there are stresses called vertical effective pressure. The equation for calculation of vertical effective pressure is proposed in this study using the known spectrum of raindrops. Effective pressure was 1.4 Pa for the artificial rain by sprinkler machine «Fregat» and 5.9 Pa for long distance sprinkler DD-30. The article deals with a block diagram of the sequence for determining the effective pressure of rain drops on the soil. This diagram was created by the author’s method of calculation of the effective pressure of rain drops on the soil. The need for an integrated approach to the description of the artificial rain impact on the soil is noted. Various parameters characterizing drop erosion are considered. There are data about the mass of splashed soil in the irrigation of various irrigation machinery and installations. For example, the rate (mass) of splashed soil was 0.28…0.78 t/ha under irrigation sprinkler apparatus RACO 4260–55/701C in the conditions of the Ryazan region. The method allows examining the environmental impact of sprinkler techniques for analyzes of the pressure, caused by raindrops, on the soil. It can also be useful in determining the irrigation rate before the runoff for different types of sprinkler equipment and soil conditions.

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Effects of Soil Abiotic and Biotic Factors on Tree Seedling Regeneration Following a Boreal Forest Wildfire

Ecosystems ◽

10.1007/s10021-021-00666-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Theresa S. Ibáñez ◽

David A. Wardle ◽

Michael J. Gundale ◽

Marie-Charlotte Nilsson

Keyword(s):

Boreal Forest ◽

Betula Pendula ◽

Fire Severity ◽

Tree Regeneration ◽

Soil Biota ◽

Fire Disturbance ◽

Burn Severity ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Tree Seedling ◽

Seedling Regeneration

AbstractWildfire disturbance is important for tree regeneration in boreal ecosystems. A considerable amount of literature has been published on how wildfires affect boreal forest regeneration. However, we lack understanding about how soil-mediated effects of fire disturbance on seedlings occur via soil abiotic properties versus soil biota. We collected soil from stands with three different severities of burning (high, low and unburned) and conducted two greenhouse experiments to explore how seedlings of tree species (Betula pendula, Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies) performed in live soils and in sterilized soil inoculated by live soil from each of the three burning severities. Seedlings grown in live soil grew best in unburned soil. When sterilized soils were reinoculated with live soil, seedlings of P. abies and P. sylvestris grew better in soil from low burn severity stands than soil from either high severity or unburned stands, demonstrating that fire disturbance may favor post-fire regeneration of conifers in part due to the presence of soil biota that persists when fire severity is low or recovers quickly post-fire. Betula pendula did not respond to soil biota and was instead driven by changes in abiotic soil properties following fire. Our study provides strong evidence that high fire severity creates soil conditions that are adverse for seedling regeneration, but that low burn severity promotes soil biota that stimulates growth and potential regeneration of conifers. It also shows that species-specific responses to abiotic and biotic soil characteristics are altered by variation in fire severity. This has important implications for tree regeneration because it points to the role of plant–soil–microbial feedbacks in promoting successful establishment, and potentially successional trajectories and species dominance in boreal forests in the future as fire regimes become increasingly severe through climate change.

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