Surface Compaction Estimates and Soil Sensitivity in Aspen Stands of the Great Lakes States

Steber, Aaron; Brooks, Ken; Perry, Charles H.; Kolka, Randy

doi:10.1093/njaf/24.4.276

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…An interesting finding was the differences in response to soil compaction treatments among sites, where effects (depth, magnitude, and duration) were most pronounced at the Huron site, intermediate at Chippewa, and not apparent at Ottawa. These effects are generally opposite of common perceptions related to soil texture and susceptibility to compaction (Steber et al 2007. Stone (2001 reported that operating conditions during pre-treatment harvesting at the Chippewa and Ottawa sites were less than ideal, with unfrozen soil or discontinuous frost present at these locations.…”

Section: Compaction Effects On Soil Bulk Densitymentioning

confidence: 96%

Changes in soil physical and chemical properties following organic matter removal and compaction: 20-year response of the aspen Lake-States Long Term Soil Productivity installations

Slesak

Palik

D’Amato

et al. 2017

Forest Ecology and Management

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Soil functions that control plant resource availability can be altered by management activities such as increased organic matter (OM) removal and soil compaction during forest harvesting. The Long Term Soil Productivity study was established to evaluate how these practices influence soil and site productivity using experimental treatments that span a range of forest types and soil conditions at sites across North America. Here we report on the effects of these treatments on soil properties after 20 years at three of the oldest sites in the study. The sites all are located in aspen (Populous tremuloides) forests of the Lake States region USA, and span a soil texture (silt loam, sand, and clay) and productivity gradient. Treatments were applied in a 3x3 factorial design that included three levels of OM removal (stem only harvest, SOH; whole tree harvest, WTH; and WTH plus forest floor removal, FFR) and three levels of soil compaction (no additional, intermediate, and high). After 20 years, effects of OM removal were primarily associated with the extreme FFR treatment, and generally limited to the lower productivity sand and clay texture sites. At the sand texture site with low initial pools of C and nutrients, FFR resulted in soil C and Ca reductions over the 20-year period, which may have caused large reductions in aspen growth that were previously observed at that site. Although treatment effects of SOH and WTH were limited, soil P tended to decrease at all sites during the study period, which may affect future productivity at these sites. Effects of soil compaction treatments were generally linear and only apparent at the silt loam and sand texture sites. At all sites, bulk density in the upper 10 cm had fully recovered from harvest-and treatment-induced increases after 20 years, but remained elevated and increased with increasing compaction at depths below 10 cm. Previous work indicates that soil compaction had neutral to positive effects on growth at the sand texture site, but strongly negative effects on growth at the silt loam texture site. These 20-year results demonstrate that the effect of OM removal and soil compaction on soil properties is site-specific, which generally aligns with concepts of soil quality and its influence on vegetation growth. Although the LTSP study has proved invaluable in clarifying these linkages across North America, there are some limitations with measurement protocols that limit the overall utility of the soil assessment. These limitations inhibit the development of soil-based indices to identify high risk sites and practices at odds with sustainable forest management.

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Section: Compaction Effects On Soil Bulk Densitymentioning

confidence: 96%

Changes in soil physical and chemical properties following organic matter removal and compaction: 20-year response of the aspen Lake-States Long Term Soil Productivity installations

Slesak

Palik

D’Amato

et al. 2017

Forest Ecology and Management

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“…However, in dry years, the higher water‐holding capacity in the wheel tracks may be beneficial for seedlings, as long as the soil is not too compacted for root penetration. Steber et al (2007) found that high‐porosity soils often show improved root–soil contact, water holding capacity, thermal regimes and/or nutrient uptake after compaction, if the forest floor cover is also removed. The mean porosity of the upper 0 to 5 cm of the mineral soil at Site R was 0.59 m 3 m −3 in the undisturbed areas (Hansson et al, 2018a), and moderate soil compaction at this site may have been beneficial.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil Compaction Effects on Root‐Zone Hydrology and Vegetation in Boreal Forest Clearcuts

Hansson

Šimůnek

Ring

et al. 2019

Soil Science Soc of Amer J

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Core Ideas Impact of forwarding on soil water and vegetation was investigated after 4 to 5 years. Soil water content was highest in wheel tracks and lowest between tracks. Bare soil was more frequent in tracks and between tracks than in undisturbed soil. In wheel tracks, soil aeration may be restricted in periods with high precipitation. Simulated root‐zone pressure heads showed little variation between microsites. Soil compaction is a common consequence of forestry traffic traversing unprotected, moist soils; it decreases porosity and affects hydraulic conductivity even in coarse‐textured soils. The aim here was to study root‐zone hydrology and vegetation in three microsites (in, between, and beside wheel tracks) 4 to 5 yr after forwarder traffic, on stony and sandy till soils in two clearcuts in northern Sweden. Measurements of soil volumetric water content (VWC), vegetation indicators and one‐dimensional hydrological modeling (Hydrus‐1D) of wheel tracks and undisturbed soil were conducted. Soil VWC was monitored hourly during 2017 and 2018 in three or four plots along a slope on each site. Soil VWC was also measured once with a portable sensor in 117 plots along two slopes at each site, where the vegetation was recorded and analyzed using Ellenberg indicator indexes. Soil VWC was highest in wheel tracks and lowest between tracks; this was corroborated by the species composition in the wheel tracks (Ellenberg indicator for soil moisture). Bare soil was more frequent in wheel tracks and between tracks than in undisturbed soil. The model simulations indicated that the changed soil hydraulic properties influenced the VWC results in the wheel tracks. However, the differences in average pressure heads in the root zone were small between the microsites and only apparent during dry periods. In the wheel tracks, air‐filled porosity was <0.10 m3 m−3, indicating insufficient soil aeration during 82% (Site T) and 23% (Site R) of the 2017 growing season. Insufficient aeration could be one explanation for the presence of some still unvegetated areas.

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“…The same technique was successfully applied by Lafuerza et al (2005), Choi and Kim (2006), Sarti et al (2012), and Styllas (2014), proving to be useful for the high-resolution sequence stratigraphic analysis and three-dimensional reconstruction of alluvial to coastal successions. This tool has been used for reliable assessment of the effects of compaction on soil productivity (Steber et al, 2007), to estimate threshold friction velocity of wind erosion in the field (Li et al, 2010), and for stratigraphic and geotechnical investigations (Brideau et al, 2011). Pocket penetrometer may provide almost continuous record of in situ properties of soils.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pocket penetrometer may provide almost continuous record of in situ properties of soils. This tool has been used for reliable assessment of the effects of compaction on soil productivity (Steber et al, 2007), to estimate threshold friction velocity of wind erosion in the field (Li et al, 2010), and for stratigraphic and geotechnical investigations (Brideau et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The value of pocket penetration tests for the high‐resolution palaeosol stratigraphy of late Quaternary deposits

et al. 2014

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Pocket penetrometer measurements, though commonly listed as accessory components of core descriptions, are almost totally ignored in shallow subsurface stratigraphic analysis. In this study, we prove that, if properly calibrated with core data, pocket penetration tests may serve as a quick and inexpensive tool to enhance high‐resolution (palaeosol‐based) stratigraphy of unconsolidated, late Quaternary non‐marine deposits. A palaeosol sequence, made up of 12 vertically stacked, weakly developed palaeosols (Inceptisols) dated to the last 40 ky cal BP, is reconstructed from the subsurface of the southern Po Plain. The individual palaeosols exhibit flat to slightly undulating geometries and several of them can be tracked over distances of tens of km. They show substantially higher compressive strength coefficients than all other fine‐grained, alluvial (floodplain) facies, being typified by distinctive penetration resistance, in the range of 3.5–5 kg/cm2. Along the palaeosol profiles, A and Bk horizons demonstrate consistent difference in relative compressive strengths, the highest values being almost invariably observed at the A/Bk boundary. Palaeosols are rarely described in conventional stratigraphic logs, and just a small proportion of them is likely to be identified by geologists with no specific sedimentological training. Through core–log calibration techniques, we document that vertical profiles of penetration resistance measured in the field can be used as an efficient method for palaeosol identification, and thus may represent a strategy for predicting stratigraphic architecture from limited core descriptions or poor‐quality field logs. This technique allows to optimize the contribution of all available stratigraphic information, expanding significantly the coverage of well‐described, one‐dimensional core data. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Surface Compaction Estimates and Soil Sensitivity in Aspen Stands of the Great Lakes States

Cited by 8 publications

References 21 publications

Changes in soil physical and chemical properties following organic matter removal and compaction: 20-year response of the aspen Lake-States Long Term Soil Productivity installations

Changes in soil physical and chemical properties following organic matter removal and compaction: 20-year response of the aspen Lake-States Long Term Soil Productivity installations

Soil Compaction Effects on Root‐Zone Hydrology and Vegetation in Boreal Forest Clearcuts

The value of pocket penetration tests for the high‐resolution palaeosol stratigraphy of late Quaternary deposits

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