Assessment of Soil Erosion Potential From the Disturbed Surface of Skid Trails in Small Shovel Harvesting System

Abstract

Forest roads, haul roads, and especially skid trails have been associated with sedimentation and soil erosion risk. Despite the widespread small shovel harvesting system on steep terrains in South Korea, the subsequent risks of deep (rut depth >5 cm) and compact disturbances, and erosion rates in skid trails are largely unknown. Therefore, the main objectives of this study were to compare the soil erosion rate in each skid trail and predict the total soil erosion rate in a small shovel harvesting area. The soil erosion rate was measured at the plot scale (5 × 3 m) in different skid trail parts (bladed skid trail by small-shovel loader passage, BT; and compacted skid trail CT by carrier passage with construction by a small-shovel loader) using a silt fence experiment. In addition, we investigated the applicability of the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model to each disturbance. Among all disturbances, the highest erosion rate (average value of 9.13 ± 0.96 kg m−2 4 months−1) was because of CT. The model predictions were over- and under-estimated and showed particularly poor performance where uncovered soil was exposed (less than 1%) to high machine traffic frequency and excavation. Further, the annual soil erosion rates ranged from 11.59 to 28.94 ton ha−1 year−1. The results suggested that the WEPP model could partially validate the soil erosion results, and further research is still required to improve the accuracy of the model.

An Innovative Approach to Surface Deformation Estimation in Forest Road and Trail Networks Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Real-Time Kinematic-Derived Data for Monitoring and Maintenance

“…Previous research has employed many techniques to detect rutting and deformations on the surfaces of skid trails and forest roads (e.g., [85][86][87][88]). In our work, we employed a novel approach that involved two distinct classifications based on the DSM and the DEM, both implemented using the same technique.…”

Assessing the Extent and Severity of the Impact on Forest Soils of Two Different Fully Mechanized Timber Harvesting Operations

“…Then, the straight distance was measured between the pole and the bottom of the rut. Similar soil disturbance assessment methods were introduced by Reeves et al [23] and Lee et al [12]. left and right tracks of each trail were measured with a ruler using cross-sectional analysis, and the average was recorded.…”

“…Then, the straight distance was measured between the pole and the bottom of the rut. Similar soil disturbance assessment methods were introduced by Reeves et al [23] and Lee et al [12]. Because most logging residues are concentrated on trails during ground-based harvesting activities, the slash amounts were measured along these trails using the downed woody debris survey method with the allometric equation used by Brown [24] and Kizha and Han [25].…”

“…Alterations in soil's physical properties are the most well-known indicators of soil disturbance, because an increased soil bulk density (BD) reduces water infiltration and root expansion, leading to increased surface runoff and erosion [4,11,12]. The BD increases when mechanical forces compress the soil, reducing the pore space owing to vertical and horizontal soil stresses [3].…”