%0 Research article
%T Long-term impacts of forest harvesting related soil disturbance on log product yields and economic potential in a New Zealand forest
%A Murphy, Glen
%A Firth, John G.
%A Skinner, Malcolm F.
%D 2004
%J Silva Fennica
%V 38
%N 3
%R doi:10.14214/sf.416
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/416
%X 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.