Full text of this article is only available in PDF format.

Glen Murphy (email), John G. Firth, Malcolm F. Skinner

Long-term impacts of forest harvesting related soil disturbance on log product yields and economic potential in a New Zealand forest

Murphy G., Firth J. G., Skinner M. F. (2004). Long-term impacts of forest harvesting related soil disturbance on log product yields and economic potential in a New Zealand forest. Silva Fennica vol. 38 no. 3 article id 416. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.416

Abstract

The effect of soil disturbance (litter removal, topsoil removal and compaction) from forest harvesting on the productivity, log product yields and economic potential of second-rotation Pinus radiata growing on a clay loam soil, was assessed in a long-term trial 21 years after planting. The results are projected forward to the expected harvest age of 28 years. Relative to control plots, average tree volume at 21 years was reduced by 8% in the plots where the litter had been removed and the topsoil had been compacted, and by up to 42% in the plots where the topsoil had been removed and the subsoil compacted. The “degree of compaction” did not have a significant effect on average tree volume in the plots where litter had been removed but did have a significant effect where the topsoil had been removed. Per tree economic potential was reduced to a greater extent (up to 60% loss in value) than average tree volume was reduced. This was largely due to changes in log product yield distribution. Projecting tree growth forward to the end of the rotation at age 28 indicated that the impacts of soil disturbance on tree growth, economic potential and log product yields are likely to be similar in relative terms to those found at age 21.

Keywords
Pinus radiata; harvesting; compaction; tree growth; litter removal

Author Info
  • Murphy, Forest Engineering Department, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA E-mail glen.murphy@orst.edu (email)
  • Firth, Forest Research, Sala Street, Rotorua, New Zealand E-mail jgf@nn.nz
  • Skinner, Forest Research, Sala Street, Rotorua, New Zealand E-mail mfs@nn.nz

Received 1 March 2004 Accepted 5 July 2004 Published 31 December 2004

Views 3517

Available at https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.416 | Download PDF

Creative Commons License CC BY-SA 4.0

Register
Click this link to register to Silva Fennica.
Log in
If you are a registered user, log in to save your selected articles for later access.
Contents alert
Sign up to receive alerts of new content

Your selected articles
Your search results
Zamora-Cristales R., Boston K. et al. (2013) Stochastic simulation and optimization of mobile.. Silva Fennica vol. 47 no. 5 article id 937
Murphy G., Brownlie R. et al. (2009) Impacts of forest harvesting related soil distur.. Silva Fennica vol. 43 no. 1 article id 221
Marshall H. D., Murphy G. et al. (2006) Three mathematical models for bucking-to-order Silva Fennica vol. 40 no. 1 article id 356
Murphy G., Firth J. G. et al. (2004) Long-term impacts of forest harvesting related s.. Silva Fennica vol. 38 no. 3 article id 416