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Research article2018Peer reviewed

Impacts of off-road traffic on soil physical properties of forest clear-cuts: X-ray and laboratory analysis

Hansson, Linnea J.; Koestel, John; Ring, Eva; Gardenas, Annemieke I.

Abstract

Due to the great year-round demand for forest products, off-road forestry traffic occurs even when the ground is susceptible to soil compaction and rutting. We investigated the impacts of repeated passes with a laden forwarder (34 Mg) on the soil physical properties of two clear-cuts on stony till soils in northern Sweden. Core samples (n = 71) were collected from the top 5 cm of mineral soil in and beside wheel tracks, after six passes with the forwarder. Soil physical properties were quantified using classical soil physical analyses and X-ray tomography. The hydraulic conductivity was 70% lower in the wheel tracks than in the soil beside. The X-ray image analysis indicated that this was due to the smaller total volume and lower connectivity of structural pores ( phi > 60 mu m). Total porosity was 24% and 12% lower in the tracks at the two sites respectively, and mean bulk density was 1.39 g cm(-3) in the tracks, compared to 1.13 g cm(-3) beside them. To conclude, traffic changed the soil physical properties in a way that may lead to longer periods of high water content in the wheel tracks, increased risk of surface runoff and insufficient aeration for optimal seedling growth.

Keywords

Soil compaction; forestry; computed tomography; hydraulic conductivity; macropores; X-ray

Published in

Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research
2018, Volume: 33, number: 2, pages: 166-177

      SLU Authors

        • Associated SLU-program

        Future Forests (until Jan 2017)
        SLU Future Forests

        Sustainable Development Goals

        SDG9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure

        UKÄ Subject classification

        Forest Science
        Soil Science

        Publication identifier

        DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02827581.2017.1339121

        Permanent link to this page (URI)

        https://res.slu.se/id/publ/83537