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Evaluation of Leaf Litter Mulching and Incorporation on Skid Trails for the Recovery of Soil Physico-Chemical and Biological Properties of Mixed Broadleaved Forests

Author

Listed:
  • Meghdad Jourgholami

    (Department of Forestry and Forest Economics, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj 999067, Iran)

  • Azadeh Khoramizadeh

    (Department of Forestry and Forest Economics, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj 999067, Iran)

  • Angela Lo Monaco

    (Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy)

  • Rachele Venanzi

    (Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy)

  • Francesco Latterini

    (CREA Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria-Research Centre for En-gineering and Agro-Food Processing, 00015 Rome, 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)

Abstract

Engineering applications can be used to mitigate the adverse effects of soil compaction and amend compacted soils. Previous literature has highlighted the beneficial effects of interventions such as litter mulching and incorporation on skid trails. However, little is known about the effectiveness of these alternatives in restoring forest soil quality after forest logging. The objective of this study was to properly elucidate the effects of the above mentioned soil protection methods, litter incorporation before skidding (LI) and litter mulching after skidding (LM), on the recovery of compacted soil’s physico-chemical and biological properties on skid trails over a 2-year period in the Hyrcanian forests of Iran to identify the best option for restoration intervention. The litter used in both methods consisted of dried leaves of the hornbeam and maple tree in three intensities of 3, 6, and 9 Mg ha −1 . The results showed that the application of both methods (LI and LM) significantly improved the soil properties when compared to the untreated skid trail. Results showed that the recovery values of soil properties in the LI treatments were significantly higher than those of the LM. The recovery values of soil properties by 6 and 9 Mg ha −1 were significantly higher than those of 3 Mg ha −1 , while the differences were not significant between 6 and 9 Mg ha −1 . Our findings showed that soil properties were partially recovered (70–80%) over a 2-year period from treatment, compared to untreated, but the full recovery of soil properties required more time to return to the pre-harvest value. Overall, the results of this study demonstrated that the application of soil protection methods accelerates the process of recovering soil properties much faster than natural soil recovery, which can take more than 20 years in these forests.

Suggested Citation

  • Meghdad Jourgholami & Azadeh Khoramizadeh & Angela Lo Monaco & Rachele Venanzi & Francesco Latterini & Farzam Tavankar & Rodolfo Picchio, 2021. "Evaluation of Leaf Litter Mulching and Incorporation on Skid Trails for the Recovery of Soil Physico-Chemical and Biological Properties of Mixed Broadleaved Forests," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-15, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:10:y:2021:i:6:p:625-:d:573620
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Farzam Tavankar & Rodolfo Picchio & Mehrdad Nikooy & Meghdad Jourgholami & Ramin Naghdi & Francesco Latterini & Rachele Venanzi, 2021. "Soil Natural Recovery Process and Fagus orientalis Lipsky Seedling Growth after Timber Extraction by Wheeled Skidder," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-17, January.
    2. Meghdad Jourgholami & Ali Nasirian & Eric R. Labelle, 2018. "Ecological Restoration of Compacted Soil Following the Application of Different Leaf Litter Mulches on the Skid Trail over a Five-Year Period," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-16, June.
    3. Hadi Sohrabi & Meghdad Jourgholami & Mohammad Jafari & Naghi Shabanian & Rachele Venanzi & Farzam Tavankar & Rodolfo Picchio, 2020. "Soil Recovery Assessment after Timber Harvesting Based on the Sustainable Forest Operation (SFO) Perspective in Iranian Temperate Forests," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-18, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Azadeh Khoramizadeh & Meghdad Jourgholami & Mohammad Jafari & Rachele Venanzi & Farzam Tavankar & Rodolfo Picchio, 2021. "Soil Restoration through the Application of Organic Mulch Following Skidding Operations Causing Vehicle Induced Compaction in the Hyrcanian Forests, Northern Iran," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-17, October.
    2. Francesco Latterini & Rachele Venanzi & Damiano Tocci & Rodolfo Picchio, 2022. "Depth-to-Water Maps to Identify Soil Areas That Are Potentially Sensitive to Logging Disturbance: Initial Evaluations in the Mediterranean Forest Context," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-13, May.
    3. Rachele Venanzi & Francesco Latterini & Walter Stefanoni & Damiano Tocci & Rodolfo Picchio, 2022. "Variations of Soil Physico-Chemical and Biological Features after Logging Using Two Different Ground-Based Extraction Methods in a Beech High Forest—A Case Study," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-14, March.

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