Compaction of Forest Soils with Heavy Logging Machinery (original) (raw)
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Soil compaction in timber skidding in winter conditions
The research of soil compaction in timber skidding was carried out on two skid trails of uniform slope –15%and 30 %. The degree of soil compaction is shown by changes of water-air soil characteristics of the skid trail after a certain number of passes of a loaded skidder and bycomparison between these values and the characteristics of untreaded soil during research. The research was carried out in winter conditions at low air and soil temperatures and with the research site covered with snow. Multiple passes of a loaded skidder affect the degree of soil compaction. The result of soil compaction is the decrease of momentary moisture content, porosity and soil water capacity, as well as the increase of native bulk density. Soil compaction is higher if the soil is not frozen.Due to low air temperatures and disappearance of snow from wheel ruts during skidding, the rut soil gets frozen more easily during the night than the untreaded soil. Soil compaction during the day does not cause sq...
Skidding by means of heavy forestry machinery can affect soil physical properties. We assessed the effects of ground based skidding on soil bulk density and total porosity under the Iranian mountainous forest conditions. Treatments included a combination of four levels of traffic intensity (1, 3, 6, and 15 passes) of a Timberjack 450C rubber skidder and two levels of slope (<20 % and >20 %). The bulk density was highest in samples taken in the wheel tracks and between them, and decreased towards both ends of the track (0.5 to 4 m). The results showed that bulk density increased with traffic frequency, while total porosity decreased. Average soil bulk density ranged from 0.96 g cm-3 (after one machine pass and slope <20 %) up to 1.41 g cm –3 (after 15 machine passes and slope >20 %) on the skid trail, while the respective value was 0.7 g cm –3 for the undisturbed area. On compacted soil, total porosity at the 0–10 cm depth decreased by 37 % compared with non-compacted soil. The results showed that slope steepness had a strong effect on the soil disturbance, with the critical value for bulk density occurring after 15 machine passes at slope <20 % and six machines passes at slope >20 %. The impacts of soil compaction could be evidenced in a distance of up to 2 m from the end of the skidding trail. The latter finding suggests that special interest in the form of managerial measures should be taken during the skidding operations in an effort to minimize the adverse effects of ground based skidding on the physical properties of the soil.
Effects of Skidder on Soil Compaction, Forest Floor Removal and Rut Formation
An extensive field trial was set up to examine the influence of traffic intensity (5, 10, and 15 skidding cycles) (i.e. pass back and forth on the skid trail) and skid trail slope (0-10, 10-20, and > 20)% on soil compaction, forest floor removal, and rut depth after logging. The results showed that dry bulk density and rut depth increased with the increase of traffic frequency and slope, but floor coverage decreased. Within each traffic treatment soil compaction raised with the increase of skid trail slope, so that significant differences in dry bulk density were observed between slopes lower than 20% and those greater than 20%. Bulk density has become quite close to the critical value after 15 cycles. We observed soil rutting on the treatments started with 10 cycles. Soil disturbance increased significantly on slopes with less than 20% inclination with a dry bulk density of 1.157 g cm-3 after 5 cycles compared to 0.923 g cm-3 on slopes lower than 10%. In addition the litter mass on the treatments with 10 cycles and slopes greater than 20% (386.586 kg ha-1) was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than treatments with 15 cycles and slopes lower than 10% (545.382 kg ha-1). Data suggest that disturbance increased earlier in the steep treatments than in less sloping conditions. The dramatic increase of soil disturbance on treatments with slopes greater than 20% may be associated with increasing load on the rear axle combined with slipping on steep slope trail.
Soil compaction caused by 450C Timber Jack wheeled skidder (Shefarood forest, northern Iran)
Journal of Forest Science
In forest harvesting operations usually after using skidding machinery (skidders), traces of soil damage in the form of soil compaction and wheel and logs ruts can be seen in the forest soil. Soil bulk density, which represents soil compaction, decreases soil porosity, infiltration rate and aeration and these in turn increase runoff and water erosion in the harvested area. On the other hand, a decrease in soil aeration prevents root growth and decreases the vegetative cover. In this study the changes in soil bulk density and relative soil compaction due to a different number of wheeled skidder passes from stump to landing for two soil types (clay soil with high and low liquid limits, CH, CL) are analyzed. The results showed that the effect of skidder traffic on an increase in soil bulk density at sample locations was significant (α = 0.05). The range of soil bulk density increases in sample pits due to a different number of machinery passes was from 15.8% to 62.6% compared to the co...
Effect of Compaction on Physical and Micromorphological Properties of Forest Soils
American Journal of Plant Sciences, 2012
The objective of this research was to assess the effect of skidding machinery on soil physical and micromorphological properties. The different positions (control or non-traffic areas, left wheel track, right wheel track and log track) and two soil depths (0-10 and 10-20 cm) in three repetitions were investigated. The results showed that average soil dry bulk density in four positions and two soil depths were significantly different. Comparison of average total porosity percentage and soil saturated hydraulic conductivity revealed that there were significant differences in four positions and two soil depths. Soil thin section studies using Image Tool software showed that in compacted samples there was an increase in the number of vughs voids and channels voids were in low occurrence. Micromorphological studies showed that soil compaction caused void size to decrease. In compacted samples voids bigger than 10 μm were very rare and dominant voids size was 2 μm. In compacted samples soil structure were damaged and aggregates were compressed. Also soil matrix was compressed and microstructure was massive. Results from this study confirmed that skidding machinery had a significant effect on soil physical and morphological properties. These changes causes soil and environmental degradation due to reduction in water infiltration increasing soil erosion risk.
Redalyc.Effects of Skidderon Soil Compaction, Forest Floor Removal and Rut Formation
2020
An extensive field trial was set up to examine the influence of traffic intensity (5, 10, and 15 skidding cycles) (i.e. pass back and forth on the skid trail) and skid trail slope (0-10, 10-20, and > 20)% on soil compaction, forest floor removal, and rut depth after logging. The results showed that dry bulk density and rut depth increased with the increase of traffic frequency and slope, but floor coverage decreased. Within each traffic treatment soil compaction raised with the increase of skid trail slope, so that significant differences in dry bulk density were observed between slopes lower than 20% and those greater than 20%. Bulk density has become quite close to the critical value after 15 cycles. We observed soil rutting on the treatments started with 10 cycles. Soil disturbance increased significantly on slopes with less than 20% inclination with a dry bulk density of 1.157 g cm-3 after 5 cycles compared to 0.923 g cm-3 on slopes lower than 10%. In addition the litter mass on the treatments with 10 cycles and slopes greater than 20% (386.586 kg ha-1) was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than treatments with 15 cycles and slopes lower than 10% (545.382 kg ha-1). Data suggest that disturbance increased earlier in the steep treatments than in less sloping conditions. The dramatic increase of soil disturbance on treatments with slopes greater than 20% may be associated with increasing load on the rear axle combined with slipping on steep slope trail.
Soil porosity and soil stress for skidder and mule logging sites
Forest harvesting causes considerable damages to the forest soil and stands. To evaluate the harvesting systems it is necessary to study their environmental impacts. This case study was carried out in a mixed broad leave forest area which harvested by cable wheeled skidder and mule logging. The soil porosity and soil stress was measured for both skidding systems in two skid trails with the same length and same harvesting volume of 100 m3 in two neighbor compartments. The soil samples were collected using standard cylinder method from two depths; 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm. The results showed that skidding operation will reduce the porosity of the soil compare to undisturbed area. The porosity of the mule trail was higher that skidder operating trail. The relation between the porosity of the soil samples and their compaction rate showed the higher the porosity the less the soil compaction. The soil stress caused by mules was higher than by skidder.
Bosque (Valdivia)
Ground-based logging operation is potentially one of the major soil-disturbing activities that cause soil displacement, rutting depth and soil compaction. Thus, logging operations should be carefully planned considering the factors that influence soil disturbance. In this study, soil displacement and rutting on the skid roads caused by a farm tractor during a logging operation were investigated in maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) plantation forest of Istanbul, Turkey. After each tractor pass, field measurements were performed on the selected cross sections that were established at 15 m intervals along a designated skid road. Soil disturbance caused by both rubber-tires and skidded logs was considered in this study. It was found that the average volume of soil displacement was 0.060 m² m-1 along skid road. It was also found that the rut depth on skid road became significant after 5 th , 10 th , 15 th , 20 th and 30 th passes, reaching an average of 4.0, 7.2, 8.7, 9.8 and 10.5 cm, respectively. Results indicated that soil displacement and rut depth increased as the number of tractor passes increased.