Abstract
Soil compaction by machine used in forest harvesting operation caused negative impacts for regeneration and tree growth. This research was intended to analyze the effectiveness of using slash to decrease soil compaction, to analyze soil compaction at various soil depths, and to measure rut depth at soil surface. Valmet 860.1 forwarder was used in this research. Soil compaction was measured through its bulk density, cone index, and rut depth, under the condition with and without slash. The slash comprised of twigs, branches, and leaves as wastes from harvested Acacia mangium that were stacked to a width of about 1 meter in thickness following forwarder traffic. Results indicated that slash was effective in decreasing soil compaction. About 50% increased in soil compaction by a Valmet forwarder could be reduced by using slash coverings at soil surface. The maximum soil bulk density occurred after 5 forwarder passes. Soil compaction also occurred at subsurface soil. After forwarder traffic, increasing cone index was observed at subsurface of various soil depths. Slash was effective in decreasing soil compaction up to 20 cm in soil depth, although soil compaction by forwarder operation was slightly increased until 50 cm of soil depth. Rut was not observed under the slash however rut of about 24 cm in depth was formed at soil surface without slash. Using slash as coverings for forwarder operation reduced soil damaged. Keywords : soil compaction, forwarder Valmet, Acacia mangium , rutted, slash
Highlights
The needs for industrial roundwood by wood processing industries in Indonesia are still greater than log productions from natural forests
The objectives of this study are to (1) analyze the effectiveness of slash as soil covers on the passages passed by Valmet 860.1, on the percentage change of soil compaction to that of bare soil, (2) analyze soil compaction at a soil depth, and (3) measure the rut depth formed on the forwarder passage
Results of measurements of soil compaction on soil with and without slash coverings, were indicated by the bulk density value shown on Table 1
Summary
The needs for industrial roundwood by wood processing industries in Indonesia are still greater than log productions from natural forests. Use of timber in Indonesia is still less efficient, where the amount of wood used in general, is still low compared to the volume of harvested timbers Tree parts such as stumps, branches, twigs, and defected stems are generally abandoned and become wastes. Industrial plantation forest (HTI) in Indonesia was developed in 1983 and since several companies have been successfully planted a total area of approximately 2.3 million ha (Iskandar et al 2003). These plantations have entered their annual harvesting period. Timber harvesting machines such as forwarder, harvester and fellerbuncher are options chosen to remove timbers from the logging sites to log landing areas at forest edges to be further transported by trucks to the logyard
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