The State of BC’s Forests The Indicators Soil — PDF print version

Indicator 7 – Soil

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Note: This indicator will be addressed fully, with detailed information and an assessment, in a future edition of the report.

Why is this important?

Soil is the foundation on which forest and range ecosystems develop.

Overview

• Soil holds much of the nutrients and biological mass of forest and range lands. It consists of inorganic material, decaying organic matter, air, water and many microbial and larger organisms.
• Soil provides two important ecological functions that depend on complex interactions of its components. These functions are productivity (capacity to support plant growth) and regulation of water flow.
• Forest practices, range practices and recreational activities (construction of access roads, timber harvesting, site preparation for planting trees, cattle grazing and use of all-terrain vehicles) can have negative and, in some cases, positive impacts on soil’s ecological functions.
• Concern about the nature and extent of forest soil degradation prompted government to develop, in the early 1970s, forest practice guidelines to limit negative impacts on soils. These guidelines have been updated over time based on scientific research into the long-term effects of forest and range practices on soil productivity.
• Soil conservation requires detailed consideration of site conditions, season and equipment used in forest and range management.

Related indicators

• Environmental pressures such as wildfires (see Ecosystem dynamics) may affect soil productivity. Economic and social pressures may lead to soil degradation (see Timber harvest, Recreation) or soil conservation (see Law, Public involvement).
• Soil conservation measures help maintain water quality, aquatic and riparian habitats (see Water), ecosystem productivity and future economic benefits (see Timber harvest, Jobs and communities).
• Management responses include development and enforcement of better forest practices based on research (see Knowledge, Law, Silviculture).

Information

• Related international and national indicators: MP 4.a, 4.d, 4.e, 4.h; CCFM 3.1, 3.2