Soil restoration through the application of organic mulch following skidding operations causing vehicle induced compaction in the hyrcanian forests, northern iran
Author(s)
Date Issued
2021
Type
article
Volume
10
Issue
10
Start Page
1
End Page
17
Journal
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.
Project(s)
This work is part of results of the first author’s Ph.D. thesis. The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the Deputy of Research, University of Tehran. This work was supported by the Italian Ministry for education, University and Research (MIUR) for financial support (Law 232/2016, Italian University Departments of excellence)—UNITUS -DAFNE WP3.