Cariboo
Forest
Region
 Site Disturbance and Reclamation
Extension Note EN04

 
This Extension Note summarizes a series of field trips to observe and assess site disturbance and recommend treatments for any necessary rehabilitation.

INTRODUCTION

Machine travel during harvesting can cause soil compaction if conditions are not correct. This is usually taken to mean a simple increase in soil bulk density. However, soil compaction also means: Compaction can reduce root growth, which limits the tree's ability to explore the soil volume for nutrients and moisture, with possible reduced mechanical stability. Other side effects include: Any of these changes can contribute to short term reductions in tree growth or long-term reductions in site productivity.

Site disturbance is often desirable and necessary to prepare soil for forest regeneration. Site disturbance is not necessarily detrimental disturbance. However, under certain conditions, such as a high risk of erosion, large amounts of any type of disturbance can be detrimental.

Reclamation is usually required when an area is detrimentally disturbed during harvesting. Reclamation is often very expensive and does not guarantee that an area can be returned to its former level of productivity. Therefore, prevention is always the best way to deal with detrimental site disturbance.

The objective of reclamation is to return the site as closely as possible to its initial level of productivity in such a manner that the site will maintain that level of productivity without further management. The first step in undertaking reclamation work is the development of the reclamation plan.
 

CONTACT

For more information, contact Bill Chapman at 250-398-4718.
 
 

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