Comparative effects of aerial and ground logging on soil properties in a tupelo-cypress wetland

Abstract A palustrine water tupelo ( Nyssa aquatica L.)-baldcypress ( Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.) swamp in southwestern Alabama was subjected to three types of disturbances during the fall of 1986. Disturbance treatments were those associated with clearcutting of timber: log removal by helicopter, simulated rubber-tired skidder log transport, and herbicide control of vegetative regrowth. An adjacent undisturbed stand served as a reference. Post-harvest measurements of soil physical and chemical properties were collected in 1987 and 1988. Results indicated that saturated hydraulic conductivity is the dominant influence on soil functions within this ecosystem. Skidder trafficking significantly reduced saturated hydraulic conductivity within 50 cm of the soil surface, thereby decreasing water percolation and drainage on trafficked areas. The reduction of saturated hydraulic conductivity resulted in chemical reduction, decreased oxygen content and increased pH values in the soil of trafficked areas.

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