Evaluating the forest harvesting operations impact on sediment yield in forest watershed (Case study: Kheyrud forest)

Land use changes can significantly affect the hydrology of a forest watershed. Ground cover is important to protect the soil against erosion. Timber harvesting has been changed the canopy cover and forest soil was exposed to the wind and water. Soil compaction and removing the forest floor in the skid trails was reduced the capacity of water absorption in mineral soils and thus reduced water infiltration, increased runoff, which caused to soil erosion. In order to measure the rate of sediments in two slopes and to study the effect of skid trails on the amount of sediments, the plot-level study was carried out in the Gorazbon district in Kheyrud forest in the control area and skid trail after skidding operations in the sample plot. The results showed that the most sediment value was 1.938 g. liter-1 in the skid trail with a 20-40 percent slope in the autumn and the lowest deposition was 0.103 g. liter-1 in the control area with a slope of 20-40 percent in the autumn. Type of Coverage (skid trail and control area), the season and the interactions between the cover and the season statistically have significant effect on the sediment yield, but the slope and the interactions between the slope and cover, as well as the interactions between the slope and season have no statistically significant effect on the sediment yield. Duncan’s test showed that there was a yield statistically significant difference between sediment yeild in different seasons and the autumn had the highest sediment