Soil Organic Matter: A Link Between Forest Management and Productivity

Long-term forest productivity concerns have emerged because of real or suspected declines in second rotation tree growth in various parts of the globe. This chapter provides an overview of organic matter changes associated with various aspects of forest management and potential links to productivity. Land management, soil organic matter and productivity are intimately linked. Alternatives include the type and timing of harvest, site preparation fertilization and maintenance schedules, or possibilities for reforestation of degraded lands. Discussions of methods to enhance reforestation and/or implement agroforestry are commonplace. There are two distinct aspects of a harvesting operation that influence future productivity. One involves the road and skid trail system necessary for extracting timber while the other considers harvesting patterns and biomass utilization levels. Of course the most straightforward effect on nutrient supply is removal in products-the greater the removal the greater the nutrient loss. Stand maintenance activities include planting, competition control, thinningand fertilization.