1984•OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information)Requires access
Tires and tracks: how they compare in the forest
James A. Burger, Richard E. Kreh, S. Minaei, John V. Perumpral, J. L. Torbert
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Abstract
The effects of machine type (rubber-tyred skidder and crawler), soil moisture, the number of passes over the same area and the effect of these parameters on soil bulk density and porosity were studied in a controlled experiment in a 1.4 ha forested area. In spite of the greater contact pressure of the skidder, changes in soil density and porosity caused by the 2 machines were the same. Neither soil density nor porosity was affected at depths of 15 cm or more, but soil moisture level and the number of passes significantly affected the extent to which these soil properties were changed at the surface. Changes in soil density and porosity increased with soil moisture content. Changes in soil density and porosity increased proportionally as the square root of the number of passes over the same area.