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Soil and vegetation changes after clear-felling coniferous forests: effects of varying removal of logging residues

Abstract

Effects of the intensity of logging residue harvesting on soil nutrient status and ground vegetation cover were examined over a 16-year period in two series of field experiments in Sweden. Short-term effects of slash harvesting and stump removal on soil water chemistry were studied after clear-felling a Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stand in SW Sweden. Soil water concentrations of NH4{sup +}, and NO{sub 3}{sup -} and K{sup +} were lower shortly after whole-tree harvesting (i.e. stem and slash harvesting) than shortly after conventional stem-only harvesting or complete tree harvesting (i.e. stem, slash and stump removal). However, 5 years later there were no longer differences in nutrient concentrations detected between treatments, and nutrient levels approached those normally found in drainage water from forest land. Similar studies focussed on long-term (16 years) effects were conducted on four coniferous forest sites in Sweden, two in north and the other two in the south. In each region one site was situated in a pure Scots pine stand (Pinus sylvestris L.) and the other in a pure Norway spruce stand. In general, the intensity of slash harvesting had no effect on the total pools of nitrogen or carbon in the soil. Furthermore, this  More>>
Authors:
Publication Date:
Nov 01, 1995
Product Type:
Thesis/Dissertation
Report Number:
SLU-EKOMIL-R-80
Reference Number:
SCA: 095000; PA: SWD-95:007368; EDB-95:141227; NTS-96:004834; ERA-20:029352; SN: 95001473847
Resource Relation:
Other Information: TH: Dissertation (FD); PBD: 1995
Subject:
09 BIOMASS FUELS; HARVESTING; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ACIDIFICATION; SOILS; SOIL CHEMISTRY; FORESTRY; CONIFERS; NUTRIENTS; CATIONS; CARBON; ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION; WOOD WASTES
OSTI ID:
116550
Research Organizations:
Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala (Sweden). Dept. of Ecology and Environmental Research
Country of Origin:
Sweden
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Journal ID: ISSN 0348-422X; Other: ON: DE96703708; ISBN 91-576-4977-4; TRN: SE9507368
Availability:
INIS; OSTI as DE96703708
Submitting Site:
SWD
Size:
28 p.
Announcement Date:
Nov 09, 1995

Citation Formats

Olsson, Bengt. Soil and vegetation changes after clear-felling coniferous forests: effects of varying removal of logging residues. Sweden: N. p., 1995. Web.
Olsson, Bengt. Soil and vegetation changes after clear-felling coniferous forests: effects of varying removal of logging residues. Sweden.
Olsson, Bengt. 1995. "Soil and vegetation changes after clear-felling coniferous forests: effects of varying removal of logging residues." Sweden.
@misc{etde_116550,
title = {Soil and vegetation changes after clear-felling coniferous forests: effects of varying removal of logging residues}
author = {Olsson, Bengt}
abstractNote = {Effects of the intensity of logging residue harvesting on soil nutrient status and ground vegetation cover were examined over a 16-year period in two series of field experiments in Sweden. Short-term effects of slash harvesting and stump removal on soil water chemistry were studied after clear-felling a Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stand in SW Sweden. Soil water concentrations of NH4{sup +}, and NO{sub 3}{sup -} and K{sup +} were lower shortly after whole-tree harvesting (i.e. stem and slash harvesting) than shortly after conventional stem-only harvesting or complete tree harvesting (i.e. stem, slash and stump removal). However, 5 years later there were no longer differences in nutrient concentrations detected between treatments, and nutrient levels approached those normally found in drainage water from forest land. Similar studies focussed on long-term (16 years) effects were conducted on four coniferous forest sites in Sweden, two in north and the other two in the south. In each region one site was situated in a pure Scots pine stand (Pinus sylvestris L.) and the other in a pure Norway spruce stand. In general, the intensity of slash harvesting had no effect on the total pools of nitrogen or carbon in the soil. Furthermore, this study showed experimentally that the harvesting of logging residues results in long-term soil acidification and depletions of exchangeable base cations, manganese and zinc pools, which lead in turn to a reduction in base saturation levels. A major implication for practical forestry was that guidelines and recommendations concerning the large-scale utilization of logging residues should be based more on the nutritional and soil acidifying consequences of this practice than on its potential effect on soil organic matter storage. It would also be possible to mitigate the detrimental effects that slash harvesting has on site conditions by applying wood-ash or other nutrients in inorganic form. 53 refs, 4 figs, 4 tabs}
place = {Sweden}
year = {1995}
month = {Nov}
}