Natural recovery of skid trails: a review

Abstract

In recent years, the study of skid trail recovery processes has gained momentum. In this review, 121 studies on various aspects of skid trail recovery were evaluated to determine when, where and how the dominant factors that influence the process of recuperation occur. These studies were located proportionally in the following forest biomes: temperate (60%), tropical (31%), and boreal (9%). Research focused mainly on soil physical properties to ascertain if there had been evidence of recovery. The majority of studies of a decade or less after abandonment demonstrated that heavily used skid trails had not recovered. On the contrary, lightly used skid trails did present full recoveries over the same time span. Soil recovery tended to occur in medium- to coarse-textured soils in temperate and boreal forests. Considering all forest biomes, the impacts of compaction persisted at least two to five decades after logging operations. The impacts were evident in diminished tree heights and volumes from trees growing on skid trails. The last 50 years of research indicates that skid trails, globally, do recover from compaction, albeit slowly.

Trafficability Prediction Using Depth-to-Water Maps: the Status of Application in Northern and Central European Forestry

“…On steeper slopes, ruts can result in channelling with increasing erosional energy, fortifying the loss of valuable topsoil [19]. When exceeding a specific soil bulk density, negative effects on plant available water [20] and plant growth [21,22] can occur. Beylich et al [23] report negative effects on various soil faunal groups related to the reduced macropore volume and the altered hydrological conditions.…”

Farm vehicles approaching weights of sauropods exceed safe mechanical limits for soil functioning

“…However, similar trends of increasing weights related to efficiency gains are observed for other field operations, including in-furrow plowing, slurry spreading, and sugar beet, maize, or cotton harvesting ( SI Appendix , section 6 ). Additionally, similar trends of increasing machinery weights (e.g., forwarders) and their impacts on soil are of concern in the context of forest productivity ( 31 – 33 ). Considerations of present mechanization levels and estimated average tractor size (linked to average farm size) reveal alarming patterns in subsoil compaction susceptibility and potential for chronic compaction in regions with intensive mechanization combined with climatic moist soil conditions ( Fig.…”

Uticaj Brdsko-Planinskih Vodotoka Na Traktorske Puteve/ Vlake, Studij Slučaja

“…Erozija je česta pojava kod svih neasfaltiranih puteva, posebno kod jakih kišnih nepogoda i puteva sa strmim nagibom (Wang et al, 2021). Jedna od najvećih prepreka za prirodni oporavak tla na traktorskim putevima jeste erozija (DeArmond et al, 2021). Dominantan uticajni faktor pojave erozije je površinski oticaj koji se javlja na traktorskim putevima/vlakama (Bajrić, 2012).…”