US Forest Service Research and Development Do Soil Compaction and Organic Matter Removal Effect Tree Growth? - Rocky Mountain Research Station - RMRS - US Forest Service
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Do Soil Compaction and Organic Matter Removal Effect Tree Growth?

Changes in soil productivity caused by harvesting, fire, or site preparation is a key issue debated by forest managers and the public. Where soil compaction or organic matter removal have occurred, researchers have found that trees grow better, grow worse, or were unaffected. It was therefore critical to obtain more site specific information on the impacts of mechanized harvesting on soil properties and subsequent tree and understory growth. To address the need for more specific information on management impacts on soils and site productivity, the North American Long-Term Soil Productivity (LTSP) study was established in 1990. The number of these sites has expanded to 62 across North America, each with a similar experimental design. In March of this year (2006), the Canadian Journal of Forest Research (Vol 36) printed a series of articles highlighting various aspects of this study. Rocky Mountain Research Station scientists collaborated on several of these articles. While we acknowledge that findings published to hastily could be misleading, it is important that we show how a variety of forest types have progressed. In most cases, forest trees have not reached crown closure and therefore are not fully expressing how they may respond to changes in soil conditions.

Results of this research are most applicable as study sites mature, but we have learned that soil texture and initial soil conditions are critical pieces of information needed to determine how forest stands may respond to management activities. Our goal is to provide information for forest managers to determine best management practices on their sites. In addition, we anticipate having information to help better monitor sites after management activities to determine where detrimental practices might exist, what practices impact soils, and how to minimize those impacts.

References

Canadian Journal of Forest Reseach: Volume 36: 1-625.

Page-Dumroese, D.S., Jurgensen, M.F., Tiarks, A.E., Ponder, F, Jr., Sanchez, F.G., Fleming, R.L., Kranabetter, J.M., Powers, R.F., Stone, D.M., Elioff, J.D., and Scott, D.A. 2006. Soil physical property changes at the North American Long-Term Soil Productivity study sites: 1 and 5 years after compaction. Can. J. For. Res. 36: 551-564.

Powers, R.F., Scott, D.A., Sanchez, F.G., Voldseth, R.A., Page-Dumroese, D., Elioff, J.D., Stone, D.M. 2005. The North American long-term soil productivity experiment: Findings from the first decade of research. For.Ecol. and Manage. 220: 31-50.

All publications associated with this study can be found online.

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