Soil Restoration through the Application of Organic Mulch Following Skidding Operations Causing Vehicle Induced Compaction in the Hyrcanian Forests, Northern Iran

Azadeh Khoramizadeh, Meghdad Jourgholami, Mohammad Jafari, Rachele Venanzi, Farzam Tavankar and Rodolfo Picchio
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Azadeh Khoramizadeh: Department of Forestry and Forest Economics, Faculty of Natural Resources, Alborz Campus, University of Tehran, Karaj 14176-43184, Iran
Meghdad Jourgholami: Department of Forestry and Forest Economics, Faculty of Natural Resources, Alborz Campus, University of Tehran, Karaj 14176-43184, Iran
Mohammad Jafari: Department of Reclamation of Arid & Mountainous Regions, Faculty of Natural Resources, Alborz Campus, University of Tehran, Karaj 14176-43184, Iran
Rachele Venanzi: Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Farzam Tavankar: Department of Forestry, Khalkhal Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khalkhal 56817-31367, Iran
Rodolfo Picchio: Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy

Land, 2021, vol. 10, issue 10, 1-17

Abstract: In this study an attempt was made to assess how different mulches affect the soil environment. In particular, different organic mulches such as leaf litter, straw and sawdust were tested in order to assess their capacities to amend the soil conditions. These analyses were carried out in the Hyrcanian mixed broadleaved forest. Organic mulches can compensate the litter layer loss on compaction-induced soil and accelerate the restoration process of soil properties, which takes from a few years to several decades without mulching. However, comprehensive knowledge on the effects of organic mulch on soil quality in terms of compaction-induced soil in the scientific literature is still scarce and inadequate. The main aim of the study was to examine the effects of three organic mulches (leaf litter, straw and sawdust) on the restoration of forestry vehicle-induced soil properties in the skid trail over a 2-year period. The results showed as the values of soil physical and chemical properties in litter, straw and sawdust treatments were significantly restored as compared with the values in the untreated soil. In general, leaf litter supplies nutrients at higher rates than the straw and sawdust mulches. However, according to the current results, a 2-year period is not enough to return the soil physical and chemical properties to pre-traffic levels. Furthermore, the present study shows that organic mulch spread on the surface of mineral soil in the skid trails after machine traffic acts as a fertilizer to accelerate the decomposition of organic matter.

Keywords: forest harvesting; skid trail; soil compaction; leaf litter; sawdust; straw; soil recovery (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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