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Some effects of slashburning clearcutting and skidroads on the physical-hydrologic properties of coarse glacial soils in coastal British Columbia

University of British Columbia

This study was initiated to determine the impact of clear-cutting, slashburning and skidroads on deep (>3 feet) coarse glacial soils at low elevations (<1000 ft. above sea level) of coastal British Columbia. Infiltration capacity, as measured with double-ring, constant-head infiltrometers, was the main measure of physical-hydrologic soil condition. The relationships between infiltration capacity and soil variables, including aeration porosity, total porosity, bulk density, texture, organic matter content and antecedent soil water content, were examined. The average infiltration rates of the undisturbed, forested areas were 17.92 inches/hour on well-drained acid brown wooded soil and 25.99 inches/hour on well-drained degraded acid brown wooded soil. Skidroads caused drastic reductions in infiltration. Average infiltration over a three hour period was 3.66 inches/hour on well-drained acid brown wooded soil three years after moderate skid-road use, 12.36 inches/hour on well drained degraded acid brown wooded soil three years after light skidroad use and 5.33 inches/ hour on moderately well-drained orthic podsol soil ten years after heavy skidroad use. Slashburning significantly reduced infiltration, although not to the levels of skidroads. Two years after burning, average infiltration over a three hour period was 13.42 inches/hour on well- drained acid brown uooded soil and 17.87 inches/hour on well-drained degraded acid brown wooded. Clearcutting did not significantly alter infiltration. Average infiltration over a three hour period was 2D.51 inches/hour on well-drained degraded acid brown wooded soil and 20.17 inches/hour on moderately well-drained orthic podsol soil. Some of the variations in infiltration by treatment and soil type are explained with the aid of multiple regression techniques.

Text

2011-06-07

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/35292

Forestry

University of British Columbia

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