Objectives:

• to monitor the long term effects of forest floor displacement on soil fertility properties and seedling growth

Experimental Design:

Treatments:

Three different sites, representing a range of site conditions, all with very high sensitivity to forest floor displacement, were treated. A fourth site was ground skidded and stumped and had a high density and variety of disturbance classes.

Layout:

• Transects are laid out at 5 m spacing and assigned a soil disturbance class
• There are approximately 40 plots of each disturbance type
• Disturbance Types are as follows.
  • Deep Gouge 1m x 1m, 30+ cm depth
  • Long Gouge 3m x 1.5m, 10 cm deep
  • Wide Gouge 1.5m x 1.5m, 10 cm deep
  • Wide Scalp 1.5m x 1.5m
  • Very Wide Scalp 3m x 3m
  • Undisturbed Clearcut 3m x 3m
• Soil samples were taken from the surface of each disturbance type

History:

• Summer 1996 - retrospective study done on growth of lodgepole pine
• Summer 1997 - four study sites selected and 838 plots established
• Summer 1998 - permanent sample plots planted
• 1999 - Seedlings remeasured
• 2000 - Seedlings remeasured

Status: Active

Reports and Publications

Hickling, James. 1997. The Effects of Forest Floor Displacement on Soil Nutrition and Lodgepole Pine Productivity in Boundary Forest District. M.Sc. Thesis, Univ. of BC, unpublished.

Hickling, James. 1998. Effect of Forest Floor Displacement on Soil Properties and Seedling Productivity in Boundary Forest District. Year Two Establishment Report, Long Term Productivity Plots.