Forest Soil Management Research Articles

Tree growth and density enhanced, while diversity and spatial clustering reduced soil mycorrhizal C and N sequestration: Strong interaction with soil properties in northeastern China

In this paper, the effects of species diversity, tree growth, and spatial clustering on mycorrhizal carbon and nitrogen sequestration and the interaction of soil physicochemical properties in Northeast China were investigated. Based on 720 10 m ∗ 10 m plots in Harbin Experimental Forest Farm of Northeast Forestry University, we determined mycorrhizal biomarkers of easily extractable Glomalin-related soil protein (EEG) and total Glomalin-related soil protein (TG). Four plant diversity indices, seven structural metrics, and five soil properties were also measured. We found that: 1) The low tree diversity plots had 1.08–1.23 times higher TG, EEG, TG-N/TN (proportion of N in TG to TN), and TG-C/SOC (proportion of C in TG to SOC) than the high plots. 2) Tree diameter was negatively correlated with EEG and TG, but positively correlated with the EEG and TG contribution to soil TN and SOC. Soil EEG and TG were positively correlated with under-branch height and tree density. W (Uniform Angle Index, higher W indicates more clustering of tree distribution in the plot) was negatively correlated with the above four ratios and positively correlated with EEG/TG. 3) pH was the most powerful explainer for the GRSP variations (6.8 %, strongest negative association with GRSP/TN, R2 > 0.13), followed by soil electrical conductance (6.5 %, positive relation with TG, p < 0.05), AP (3.2 %). 4) Plant diversity mainly affected GRSP traits through the interaction with soils (0.07), tree growth and density directly increased TG, TG-N/TN, and TG-C/SOC, while tree spatial distribution directly reduced TG-N/TN. Our finding highlighted the important effects of tree diversity and forest structural traits on GRSP amount, carbon sequestration, and nutrient retentions, and could support glomalin-related forest soil management of temperate forests in the high-latitude northern hemisphere.

Modelling effects of human-caused fires on rill detachment capacity based on surface burning of soils in forest lands

It is well known that forest fires affect physico-chemical characteristics of soils. However, few investigations have explored the effects of human-caused fires on soil erosion processes, particularly for the parameters used in rill erosion on steep slopes. To fill this gap, this study has evaluated the effects of human-caused fires on the rill detachment capacity (Dc) and rill erodibility (Kr) in the burned soils, compared to the unburned soils, as control soils, in a forest of Guilan province (northern Iran). For measuring Dc, the slopes (3.9, 9.1, 15.3, 23.9, and 32.7%) and water discharges (0.28, 0.38, 0.46, 0.54, and 0.63 L/m s−1) were adjusted to the desired values using a laboratory flume. Moreover, three properties of soils including the organic matter, bulk density and aggregate stability were determined. The results showed that Dc and Kr were significantly higher in the burned soils, compared to the unburned soils (both more than twice), as the consequence of the significant changes in organic matter content, bulk density and aggregate stability (p < 0.01). Compared to unburned soils, when soil organic matter and aggregate stability decrease, Dc increases in burned soils and these differences led to rill development. These changes in soil properties were confirmed by principal component analysis, which did show a clear discrimination between the burned and unburned sites. The model developed can predict the rill detachment capacity according to a simple linear relationship of the selected soil properties and may be used for an appropriate hydrological management of forest soils.

Role of Aerospace Images in Decoration of Soil Map

The article describes the role of aerospace images in forest soil management and their use, including quantitative and qualitative accounting, as well as the creation of an electronic database. Using these descriptions, an electronic database of the research center was created, and a map of the soil was compiled.

Toposequent Effect on Soil Morphology and Classification of Ultisol Soil in the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve, Peninsular Malaysia

Morphology in forest soils has developed over a long time due to the non-intensive management of forest soils. Damage to forest soil occurs when there is logging activity, fire, or land use change. Some forest was used as productive land for example agroforestry and forest production. As with landuse in agriculture, intensive management of forests can also reduce soil productivity. Inaccuracy forest land use would cause environmental or economic damage, so basic soil management data in forest areas is needed. However, the soil morphology of the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve (AHFR) in Malaysiahas never been observed. The objective of this study is to assess the soil characteristic and soil morphological properties of theAHFR. Studying the characteristics of soil morphology in toposequent conditions is necessary to find out the differences in soil from different heights and the effects of erosion, transportation, and deposition on the soil. This study was conducted in the AHFR, Puchong, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Peninsular Malaysia. Mapping of the area under investigation was carried out by conventional soil survey techniques with a physiographic approach using maps with a scale of 1:30,000. The results showed that AHFRhas some different soil morphological characteristics and classification in subgroupamong five different slope positions with similar soil order, which is a Ultisol soil. The soil in the AHFRis formed from highly weathered soil due to high rainfall in this location.The results of this study are important for soil development, identification management, and land use priority such as erosion control on steep-slope forest areas, regeneration and reforestation, and it can also be used for forest education, practice, research, and training activities.Keywords: Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve, forest soil, soil morphology, toposequent, Ultisol soil

Forest Soil Management: A Mexican Experience

Forests improve the livelihoods and resilience of communities in diverse ways. In particular, soils provide important environmental services for communities in addition to performing many essential ecological functions in forest ecosystems, such as nutrient uptake, organic matter decomposition, water storage, and provision of anchorage for plant growth. The sound management of forest soils, although often disregarded, is a key element of sustainable forest management. From 2002 to 2016 the Forest Soil Conservation and Restoration Sub-Program was designed and implemented by the National Forest Commission (CONAFOR) in Mexico. Forests in Mexico have high biological diversity and are often owned, governed, and managed by communities or, in some cases, community forestry is practiced. Despite the importance of periodic monitoring to ensure that policies are both effective and suitable for diverse conditions and decision making, the policies implemented by this program were not evaluated during its years of operation. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to identify the deficiencies of this policy as well as opportunities based on a review of the official information available on the Forest Soil Conservation and Restoration Sub-Program of CONAFOR during the 2002-2016 period and interviews with key informants. In addition, we aimed to highlight experiences that may be useful for similar soil conservation policies in tropical forest regions. The identified limitations ranged from conceptual problems such as policy weakness and lack of understanding of local drivers of soil degradation to an overly rigid implementation of soil conservation measures across diverse forest ecosystems and socio-ecological contexts. These deficiencies had several unintended outcomes: perhaps the most relevant was the inability of forest communities to build capacities for soil conservation. Another important limitation was the complete lack of monitoring of the program and its outcomes, which could have prevented its poor results. Finally, a lack of transparency in the distribution and determination of funding was noted. In conclusion, the hierarchical approach of this policy appears to have compromised its long-term efficacy.

Can changes in forest management contribute to the reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere? Literature review, discussion and Polish example

Abstract Both COP21 and COP22 stressed the role of forests in climate protection as a natural CO2 sink. With this in mind, the study reviewed some literature findings related to afforestation, stand level management, forest soils, peatland management and storage yards to increase the amount of CO2 absorbed by the forest ecosystem. It was shown that some of the assumptions, for example, afforestation or improved water relations in soils, may contribute to reduced CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Our research was of a review nature and consisted in seeking information in various scientific publications. For a better interpretation of the results, we have divided our research into several parts. In the first part, we analysed the importance of deforestation and afforestation in the context of CO2 accumulation. We discussed the results of research on these issues giving specific examples. We have analysed the possibility of afforestation of new land. Using the example of Poland, we have indicated problems related to this issue. We have analysed the possibility of afforestation of new land. On the example of Poland, we have indicated problems related to this problem. We have come to the conclusion that in today’s Europe, the obstacle to such efforts is the lack of land that can be afforested and the financial incentive to abandon farming for forestry is too low. In the second part, we discussed the role of forest stands in the process of CO2 accumulation and reduction. We discussed breeding treatments that can be performed on racks. We noticed their importance in the CO2 reduction process. We noticed that when the density of forests increased, this has a positive effect on organic carbon storage. We presented and discussed examples of different rotation strategies in the context of their impact on CO2 accumulation. We analysed issues related to obtaining wood raw material and possible further storage of coal or its release into the atmosphere. We have recognized that proper forest soil management is important for CO2 accumulation. Therefore, another part of the research was devoted to the discussion on the role of soil in the process of CO2 accumulation. We discussed examples of using soil for forest and non-forest purposes, looking for the answer: how does this affect CO2 accumulation? In addition, we analysed the impact of soil moisture on processes related to CO2 storage. In our research, we critically treated wood storage as a method of reducing CO2. We also discussed the problem of treating wood as a source of bioenergy. We came to the conclusion that wood as an energy source can have a positive effect on CO2 reduction. The condition is, however, that energy produced from wood replaces energy from fossil fuels. Finally, we presented and discussed financial and legal issues related to CO2 reduction activities involving forests. We have found that attempts to commercialize CO2 emission reduction units for emissions generated in forests should be linked to the environmental responsibility of companies, and as such, should not be included in the current emissions’ trading policies. In the article, we also present a Polish proposal to run coal farms. We discuss their importance in the context of the issues discussed in this article.

Effects of Microbial Diversity on Soil Carbon Mineralization

Soil microbial community plays an important role in ecosystem functions; however, little is known about the importance of microbial diversity to the ecosystems. In this study, serial dilution of soil suspension (10-1, 10-3, and 10-5) was performed and inoculated into the sterilized soils that form the broadleaf mixed forests in Pangquangou. The change in the carbon mineralization rate and the pattern of the carbon source utilization were studied by titration, Biolog Eco, and other experimental methods. The results show that after being incubated for six weeks, carbon mineralization rate, the cumulative amount of carbon mineralization, average well color development (AWCD), and diversity index (Shannon, McIntosh, and richness index) of D1 were significantly higher than those of the D5 treatment. The cumulative amount of carbon mineralization and AWCD was strongly and inversely correlated with richness. Principal component analysis and one-way ANOVA also indicated that the patterns of carbon source utilization of microbially diverse soil were different. Therefore, the loss of microbial diversity affects the carbon mineralization rate and the pattern of carbon source utilization, leading to functional changes in terrestrial ecosystems. In the management of forest soils, the effects of soil microbial diversity on ecosystem functions should be considered.

Effect of Slope Position on Soil Properties and Types Along an Elevation Gradient of Arasbaran Forest, Iran

Sustainable development by forest managing need to identify forest ecosystem elements. Forest soil is the most important element of forest ecosystem that has key roles in forest managing. Therefore, studying of soil properties and evolution under different environmental conditions is necessary for sustainable management of forest ecosystems. Spatial variation of soil properties is significantly influenced by some environmental factors that slope position is one of them. The aim of this study was evaluating effects of slope position on forest soil change which was carried out in Arasbaran forest, North-West of Iran. Nine soil profiles were dug, described and sampled in three different parts of an altitudinal transect with same environmental conditions and different slope positions. Then soil samples were analysed physicaly and chemicaly and so classified based on Soil Taxonomy 2014. Also according to obtained results One-way analysis of variance was used to test relations of soil properties and slope positions. This results revealed significant effect of slope positions on thickness of the soil profile and solum, clay, organic carbon and total nitrogen percentages and cation exchange capacity at 5% level of confidence which lead to change of type, depth and sequence of soil horizons along altitudinal transect. Finally, it has found that slope position not only has important role in soil properties changes and soil evolution but also it can't be refused the various role and influence of same forest stand in different slope positions. Therefore various soils such as Inceptisols, Alfisols and Molisols were observed under different slope positions. Then it can be achieved that, because of special forest vegetation, soil evolution along altitudinal transect of forest ecosystems are differing from other ecosystems. Thus, for forest soil management program it is necessary to consider both of topography and vegetation effect over the area, even if one of them is constant.

Assessment of Spatial Distribution of Selected Soil Properties using Geospatial Statistical Tools

To gain additional knowledge and better understand forest soil management on a small scale, geostatistical analytical tools were employed to examine the spatial distribution in dry aggregate mean weight diameter (MWD) and other selected soil properties and to assess the possible relationships between MWD and other soil properties. Selected properties of forest soils collected along a 300-m transact in the Nimbia Forest Reserve of Nigeria exhibited moderate to high variability in distribution with sodium ion displaying the greatest variability [coefficient of variation (CV, 91.2%)] and principal component analysis revealed the exchange complex cluster as influencing total variation of field soil properties. The autocorrelation function showed significant spatial correlation from 1 lag in soil organic carbon up to 17 lags (51 m) in soil moisture content (θ). The spherical and Gaussian semivariogram models described the spatial structure of most soil properties; however, for clay, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and soil organic carbon (SOC), an exponential model analyzed their spatial dependence.

Ecology and management of forest soils

Forest soils have characteristic properties that set them apart from the usual types of soils used for growing crops. Often rocky, of poor quality, and in mountainous terrain, forest soils are nevertheless the foundation of the entire forest ecosystem, supporting a diverse assemblage of plants and animals. They are often fragile soils, easily subject to erosion by road building or logging operation. A proper understanding of forest soils is an essential component of understanding forest ecology and maintaining the diversity and productivity of forested land. This new edition emphasizes the ecological aspects of forest soils. It is global in its scope, discussing soil types ranging from the tropical rainforest soils of Latin America to the boreal forest soils of Siberia. Separate chapters discuss the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of forest soils, with additional chapters on soil organic matter, roots, and biogeochemistry. It highlights the site specific factors that are important in each case and discusses practical management aspects including: nutrition management, thinning, site preparation techniques, soils for nursery and seed orchard operation, problem soils, atmospheric deposition of nutrients, soil acidity, and techniques for sustaining and improving long term soil productivity.

亚热带不同林分土壤表层有机碳组成及其稳定性

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 亚热带不同林分土壤表层有机碳组成及其稳定性 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201111301831 作者: 作者单位: 浙江农林大学 环境与资源学院,浙江农林大学 浙江省森林生态系统碳循环与固碳减排重点实验室;浙江农林大学 环境与资源学院,浙江农林大学 浙江省森林生态系统碳循环与固碳减排重点实验室;浙江农林大学 环境与资源学院,浙江农林大学 浙江省森林生态系统碳循环与固碳减排重点实验室;浙江农林大学 环境与资源学院 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金项目(31170567); 浙江省重点科技创新团队(2010R50030) Composition and stability of organic carbon in the top soil under different forest types in subtropical China Author: Affiliation: Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University,Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University,Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University,Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:在浙江临安玲珑山选取了常绿阔叶林、马尾松林、板栗林和雷竹林4种林分,采用传统的化学方法与固态13C核磁共振(NMR)技术研究其土壤有机碳在不同粒径土壤颗粒中的分布规律和结构特征,探讨林分类别和管理措施对土壤有机碳含量及其结构的影响,为亚热带地区森林固碳和土壤碳库管理提供科学依据。结果显示:(1)土壤表层(0-20 cm)有机碳含量按以下次序递减:雷竹林>常绿阔叶林>马尾松林>板栗林,且板栗林以粉黏粒结合态碳为主,其他林分土壤则以粗砂结合态碳为主;(2)13C NMR结果表明,阔叶林和马尾松林土壤有机碳中烷基碳所占比例最大,而雷竹林和板栗林则是烷氧碳比例最大,表明人工经营措施改变了土壤有机碳的成分组成;(3)随着土壤颗粒变细,有机碳中烷基碳比例增加,烷氧碳比例减少,A/O-A值和疏水碳/亲水碳值逐渐增大,表明颗粒越细,其结合的有机碳结构稳定性越高。 Abstract:Soil organic carbon (C)influences soil physical, chemical and biological properties that control nutrient cycling and consequently have important impacts on forest productivity and sustainability. Due to the important role of soil organic C in nutrient cycling of forest ecosystems and global C balance, there has long been an interest in understanding the effects of vegetation types and forest soil management on soil C pools. Four types of forest vegetations, including evergreen broad-leaved forest, Masson pine (Pinus massoniana), Chestnut (Castanea mollissima) forest and Phyllostachys praecox forest, on Linglong mountain located in Lin'an county, Zhejiang Province, China, were selected to study the distribution and chemical composition of soil organic C using chemical analysis and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The results showed that the contents of soil organic C in the 0-20 cm soil layer under different forest types decreased in the order: Phyllostachys praecox forest >evergreen broad-leaved forest >Masson pine forest >Chestnut forest. Content of soil organic C under Phyllostachys praecox forest was significantly higher than that under other three types of forests. However, there were no significant differences in content of soil organic C content among other 3 types of forests. The proportion of C combined with coarse-sand fraction was the greatest in the soils under evergreen broad-leave, Masson pine and Phyllostachys praecox forests, while the soil under Chestnut forest contained a larger proportion of C combined with clay and silt fraction. The 13C NMR spectra showed that alkyl C had the highest intensity among the four C functional groups in the soils under the evergreen broad-leave and Masson pine forests, while O-alkyl C was the predominant organic C in soils under Phyllostachys praecox and Chestnut forests. These results indicate that forest management practices can affect chemical composition of soil organic C. The ratios of alkyl C/O-alkyl C (A/O-A) and Hydrophobic C/Hydrophilic C, and alkyl-C content increased, but the O-alkyl-C content decreased, with the decrease in soil particle-sizes. In other words, the finer particles (e.g., silt and clay) contain more stable soil organic C than the coarse particles (e.g., coarse and fine sands) do. However, relationship between aromaticity of soil organic C and soil particle size fractions was not consistent in soils among four forest types. There were significant differences in aromaticity, A/O-A and Hydrophobic C/Hydrophilic C between Phyllostachys praecox forest and other forests. Content and stability of soil organic C appeared to be closely related to the contents of silt and clay in soils. Therefore, soils with high content of silt and clay can potentially build up greater amount and more stable soil organic C. In conclusion, vegetation type, management practices, and soil tillage could significantly affect the distribution and stability of organic C in different particle-size fractions as well as the contents of organic C of forest soils. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Microbial community structure and diversity in the soil spatial profile of 5-year-old Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Idaho,’ determined by 454 sequencing of the 16S RNA gene

Relatively little information is available regarding the variability of microbial communities inhabiting deeper soil layers. We investigated the distribution of soil microbial communities down to 1.2 m in 5-year-old Robinia pseudoacacia 'Idaho' soil by 454 sequencing of the 16S RNA gene. The average number of sequences per sample was 12,802. The Shannon and Chao 1 indices revealed various relative microbial abundances and even distribution of microbial diversity for all evaluated sample depths. The predicted diversity in the topsoil exceeded that of the corresponding subsoil. The changes in the relative abundance of the major soil bacterial phyla showed decreasing, increasing, or no consistent trends with respect to sampling depth. Despite their novelty, members of the new candidate phyla OD1 and TM7 were widespread. Environmental variables affecting the bacterial community within the environment appeared to differ from those reported previously, especially the lack of detectable effect from pH. Overall, we found that the overall relative abundance fluctuated with the physical and chemical properties of the soil, root system, and sampling depth. Such information may facilitate forest soil management.

Terrain Attribute Modeling of Volcanic Ash Distributions in Northern Idaho

Volcanic ash mantles many landscapes of the Inland Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Because of the close link to forest productivity in the region, understanding processes that have affected the present‐day distribution and characteristics of these ash mantles is important for forest soil management. Presence or absence, thickness, and degree of ash mantle mixing were evaluated at 84 randomly selected stratified sites in the Palouse Range of northern Idaho. A 1‐m digital elevation model (DEM) was generated for the Palouse Range using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data and resampled to 10‐, 15‐, 20‐, and 30‐m grid resolutions. Terrain attributes derived from these DEMs were used to model volcanic ash mantle presence or absence, thickness, and degree of mixing using classification and regression trees. Model accuracy for ash presence was assessed using 572 data points collected by the NRCS as part of a soil survey update. Overall, elevation was the single variable most related to the presence or absence, degree of mixing, and thickness of a volcanic ash mantle; other terrain attributes had less predictive value in modeling ash mantle characteristics. The 30‐m grid resolution provided the best model of ash presence or absence, with 78% accuracy, indicating good promise for digitally mapping Andisols and related soils across the region. The various grid resolutions had little effect on the outcome and predictive ability of the models, and the overall accuracy of the models varied by only 2%. Moister, higher elevation plant communities provide a protective forest canopy and thick litter layer, which result in a relatively undisturbed ash mantle. At lower elevation where forest canopy is less dense, ash mantles are thinner, highly mixed, or absent.

Consequences of More Intensive Forestry for the Sustainable Management of Forest Soils and Waters

Additions of nutrients, faster growing tree varieties, more intense harvest practices, and a changing climate all have the potential to increase forest production in Sweden, thereby mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration and fossil fuel substitution. However, the effects of management strategies for increased biomass production on soil resources and water quality at landscape scales are inadequately understood. Key knowledge gaps also remain regarding the sustainability of shorter rotation periods and more intensive biomass harvests. This includes effects of fertilization on the long-term weathering and supply of base cations and the consequences of changing mineral availability for future forest production. Furthermore, because soils and surface waters are closely connected, management efforts in the terrestrial landscape will potentially have consequences for water quality and the ecology of streams, rivers, and lakes. Here, we review and discuss some of the most pertinent questions related to how increased forest biomass production in Sweden could affect soils and surface waters, and how contemporary forestry goals can be met while minimizing the loss of other ecosystem services. We suggest that the development of management plans to promote the sustainable use of soil resources and water quality, while maximizing biomass production, will require a holistic ecosystem approach that is placed within a broader landscape perspective.

Is soil carbon a useful indicator of sustainable forest soil management?—a case study from native eucalypt forests of south-eastern Australia

The area and percent of forest land with significantly diminished soil organic matter (SOM) and/or changes in other soil chemical properties has been proposed as a regional sustainability indicator for Australia’s forests. This study examined for native eucalypt forest in south-eastern Australia how representative soil organic carbon (SOC) is of important ecosystem properties and processes. In addition, it was investigated how sensitive the proposed indicator is to management-induced disturbance of these forests. Three sites in Victoria with a known disturbance history and a mapped distribution of soil disturbance (different intensities of fire, snig tracks, and soil perturbation) were included. These sites (2× Eucalyptus regnans, 1× Eucalyptus sieberi) had been clearfelled 9–10 years prior to sampling. The fine-soil fraction (<2 mm) was analysed for SOC, microbial C and N, mineralisable C and N, and available P. In addition, SOC was determined in rocks, plant residues, and charcoal in the fraction greater than 2 mm. Non-labile SOC in the fine-soil fraction contributed to 47–66% of the total in soil profiles (litter layer and 0–30 cm mineral soil). Charcoal in the >2 mm fraction contributed to 13–27% of total SOC. The relationships between SOC and measures of organic matter quality and N and P availability were inconsistent across sites and management practices. The effects of disturbance were most pronounced in the surface soil (0–7.5 cm). Including deeper soil layers in the statistical analysis diluted disturbance effects. Significant differences in the SOC content between soil disturbance intensities in the fine-soil fraction disappeared when size fractions>2 mm were considered. In addition, soil compaction masked changes in SOC concentration in some cases, when SOC was expressed on a volume basis. When all size fractions were considered, SOC stocks increased with fire intensity as a result of charcoal inputs. Physical soil disturbance appeared to be more critical for regrowth productivity than the effects of slash fires. Our results showed that the proposed indicator, changes in SOC, does not meet several of the attributes of what is commonly regarded as a good ecological indicator. Of particular concern are the changes in SOC resulting from charcoal inputs, which are difficult to interpret with regard to soil fertility. Without further qualifications, the changes in SOC cannot be recommended for implementation as an indicator of sustainable soil management in native eucalypt forests. Alternative approaches for the monitoring of changes in soil properties are discussed.

Book Review: Fisher, R.F. &amp; Binkley, D. Ecology and Management of Forest Soils

European Journal of Soil ScienceVolume 52, Issue 1 p. 169-170 Book Review: Fisher, R.F. & Binkley, D. Ecology and Management of Forest Soils A. J. Moffat, A. J. MoffatSearch for more papers by this author A. J. Moffat, A. J. MoffatSearch for more papers by this author First published: 25 April 2002 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2389.2001.03734.xRead the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume52, Issue1March 2001Pages 169-170 RelatedInformation

Fisher, R.F. &amp; Binkley, D. Ecology and Management of Forest Soils

Fisher, R.F. &amp; Binkley, D. Ecology and Management of Forest Soils

The influence of some forest operations on the sustainable management of forest soils - a review

Summary This review paper describes the nature and scale of changes to forest soils brought about by forestry operations. A relatively non-technical approach is adopted with the aim of stimulating debate within as wide an audience as possible. The paper does not aim to be exhaustive but rather a position statement. Areas where further study is required are highlighted. The concept of sustainabilit y is explored in relation to forest soils, and the condition highlighted is that impacts of forest management operations should not, in the long term, exceed the capacity of soil to recover by natural processes (e.g. erosion losses should not exceed soil formation rates, nutrient removals should not exceed nutrient inputs etc.). Soil erosion, nutrient removal, compaction, and changes in organic matter content and soil water status are identified as the most important processes involved in the impacts of management. The impacts of some of the more intensive forest management regimes on soil compaction, nutrient removal and erosion rates appear to be of similar magnitude to the recovery capacity of soils. Where the most intensive forms of forest operation are used on susceptible sites some degree of long-term soil degradation appears to be likely, and it can be regarded as valid to describe such management practices as unsustainable . However, the scale of occurrence of such management is probably relatively modest, and decreasing. On less susceptible sites, and where less intensive forms of management are employed, impacts on soils are low enough for management to be regarded as sustainable, and are often less than under pre-existing land uses. Compaction caused by heavy harvesting and extraction machinery, nutrient depletion resulting from whole tree harvesting on infertile sites where rotations are short, and erosion following cultivation and harvesting on erodible soils are the greatest causes of concern. Compliance with recent Forestry Commission guidelines should lead to lower impacts than those recorded during recent decades. However, rotation-length audits of the impacts of different forest management regimes on a range of site types are needed before definitive statements about the sustainability of management operations can be made.

The effects of agricultural use on the structure and physical properties of three soil types

This investigation was carried out to determine the influence of the use of soils on their morphological structure and properties. Three soil types (i.e. Haplic Phaeozem derived from loess, Orthic Luvisol derived from loess and Orthic Luvisol derived from sandy loam) were involved. In each soil unit, profiles lying at a small distance from one another were taken for detailed examination. The main difference between the soils within each unit was the use to which they were put. The following soils were selected for evaluation: (A) soil from natural forest habitat; (B) soil cultivated in farms with a very low level of mechanisation; (C) soil cultivated in farms which had been completely mechanised for many years; (D) soil used for many years in a vegetable garden, similar to hortisol. In the selected profiles the morphological features, soil structure in all genetic horizons, granulometric composition, humus content, pH, density, air and water capacity and air permeability were analysed. It was found that the transition from forest soil management to agricultural use leads not only to the formation of an arable-humus horizon and to changes in structure but also to changes of the physico-chemical properties of soils. Soils under agricultural use manifest a lower level of acidification than forest soils, as well as a different distribution of organic matter. In all agricultural soils, increased compaction of humus horizons was observed, compared with the corresponding horizons of forest soils, as well as changes in other physical features. The use of heavy machines over many years in field operations results in increased density of the soil and deterioration of soil structure. This effect is greater in soils with low colloids and organic matter contents.

Properties and Management of Forest Soils

Properties and Management of Forest Soils