Management Impact on Compaction in Forest Soils

The objectives of forest soil management are to enhance productivity, improve or sustain soil quality, and sequester carbon (C) within the soil. The effects of forest soil management on climate change are related to soil quality, aggregation, and sequestration of C in the biomass and soil. There is a strong interdependence between forest vegetation and the soil that supports it. Forest utilization by human society has mainly been exploitative, such as for shelter, food, fuel, construction and industrial materials, and recreational activities. The more intensive the exploitation, the greater is the impact on soil quality. Soils under forest are similar to the environment characterized by a maritime climate, because both diurnal and seasonal changes in soil temperature are less. Forest management operations that impact soil quality include deforestation by clear-cutting or logging, fire or biomass burning, soil preparation for new plantation, fertilizer application, and weed control.