Effect of ground slope on extent and intensity of soil disturbance from skidder logging (Case study: Nav-e Asalem forest, Gilan province)

Protection of forest soil is one of key factors in having sustainable productive forests. In this research extent and intensity of soil disturbance due to extraction of logs of felled trees (20.5 m3/ha) were studied in Nav-e Asalem forest in Gilan province. After finishing the skidder logging operations, soil disturbance were studied by point-transect sampling method and visual assessing. Results indicated that about 19 ± 6.2 percent of surface soils were disturbed due to winching of logs that 11.3 percent of them disturbed with shallow intensity and 7.7 percent disturbed with deep intensity. The extent and intensity of soil disturbance were decreased by increasing distance from skid trail. The extent and intensity of soil disturbance were increased by increasing of ground slope. Soil bulk density in the shallow disturbed soils (1.29 g/cm3) and deep disturbed soils (1.44 g/cm3) were increased 2.4 and 14.3 percent, respectively, than control soils. Soil bulk density of disturbed areas were increased by increasing ground slope, so in slopes greater than 50 percent soil bulk density was increased 20.8 percent more than control soils. Including ways to reducing soil disturbance during skidder logging in the study area are reduction in harvest intensity, implementation of felling direction and skidder logging limitation to slopes less than 50 percent.