Evaluation of soil properties in log landings after subsoiling and biochar amendments
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Log landings are a necessary component of timber harvest infrastructure that decrease overall impact of harvest activities by concentrating management operations to a small area. However, the soil on the landings themselves can be significantly degraded as a result of heavy machine traffic. This study evaluates the efficacy of biochar application and subsoiling used singly and in combination to reduce compaction and improve soil fertility as a means to improving vegetation reestablishment. Fifteen landing sites were selected across Hoosier National Forest in Indiana, Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri, and Shawnee National Forest in Illinois. Landings were divided into treatment plots of biochar at 22.4 Mg ha-1 , subsoiling to a depth of 20in, a combination treatment, and control, with seeded and unseeded subplots. One-year post treatment findings show that surface applications of biochar reduce compaction by ~18-19 percent in the top 10cm of soil regardless of seeding or subsoiling (P < 0.05). The biochar amended soils also saw a significant increase in active carbon, potassium, magnesium, and plant available phosphorous, as well as marginal increases in total carbon and nitrogen. Comparison to pretreatment data showed that removal of slash and mulch on landings reduced bulk density (P = 0.001) regardless of treatment by allowing vegetation and removal of insulation that attenuates freeze thaw cycles.
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M.S.