Soil sustainability and harvest operations: A review

Abstract

Soil productivity is essential to the sustained production of forest ecosystem goods and services. Timber harvests may lead to negative ecological impacts to the soil environment, thus reducing both soil and forest long-term productivity. Impacts caused by timber harvests are site-specific, and soil monitoring at various times post-harvest is critical to understanding both short- and long-term damage. Soil compaction is one of the most important issues that arise from harvest operations because it can alter many soil properties and processes including soil bulk density, gas diffusivity, and water holding capacity. Changes in these factors, and others, can lead to lower plant productivity. Additional impacts from timber harvests include soil displacement, rutting, and puddling (smeared soil pores). Soil and site characteristics influence the degree to which the soil is prone to disturbance, as well as rock-fragment content. Understanding the degree, extent, distribution, and duration of soil disturbance is key to determining how long the impacts may last and whether soil restoration activities are needed. We highlight the literature about long-term soil recovery after timber harvests and review the types of impacts, harvest operation methods, and recovery times.

Citation

Crawford, Leslee J.; Heinse, Robert; Kimsey, Mark J.; Page-Dumroese, Deborah S. 2021. Soil sustainability and harvest operations: A review. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-421. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 39 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/RMRS-GTR-421.