Effects Of Bladed Skid Roads On Soil Properties And Early Tree Growth On Two Steep Slopes In The Southern Interior Of British Columbia

In 1988, three studies were established as part of Experimental Project 995 to study lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) survival and growth responses to site preparation in the Sub-Boreal Spruce zone of north-central British Columbia. The project examines the effectiveness of several mechanical treatments and localized high-intensity burning, with a focus on disc trenching, which is the most commonly used mechanical site preparation technique in this region. The importance of disc trench orientation, planting aspect, and planting position were investigated, as well as potential interactions between broadcast burning and disc trenching. This report presents 25-year results for the Bednesti North and Bednesti South experiments, and 19-year results for the Tanli experiment. Treatment effects are discussed in relation to: lodgepole pine establishment (survival and early growth to age 5); performance at approximately free-growing age (9 years); and early mid-term growth, stand volume, and site index (as measured at age 25). Of the mechanical treatments tested, coarse mixing was the most effective, resulting in approximately 1-m gains in lodgepole pine height over the control at age 25. This treatment is not practical from an operational perspective, however, and the more common technique of disc trenching with trees planted at the hinge produced the second greatest gains. In contrast, pine planted in trench furrows showed a trend of reduced growth relative to the control. Trench orientation was relatively unimportant, but there was a slight advantage to avoiding north-aspect planting positions. Although broadcast burning alone did not have a significant effect on pine growth, it consistently interacted with disc trenching to produce a mild magnification of responses to that treatment. Pine planted in long, narrow, intensely burned windrow strips were consistently larger than control pine throughout the 25-year assessment period, but they had poor form due to being essentially open-grown.

The purpose of this manual is to provide clear and helpful information for maintaining gravel roads. Very little technical help is available to small agencies that are responsible for managing these roads. Gravel road maintenance has traditionally been "more of an art than a science" and very few formal standards exist. This manual contains guidelines to help answer the questions that arise concerning gravel road maintenance such as: What is enough surface crown? What is too much? What causes corrugation? The information is as nontechnical as possible without sacrificing clear guidelines and instructions on how to do the job right.

Forests cover approximately 26% of the world's land surface area and represent a distinct biotic community. They interact with water and soil in a variety of ways, providing canopy surfaces which trap precipitation and allow evaporation back into the atmosphere, thus regulating how much water reaches the forest floor as through fall, as well as pull water from the soil for transpiration. The discipline "forest hydrology" has been developed throughout the 20th century. During that time human intervention in natural landscapes has increased, and land use and management practices have intensified. The book will be useful for graduate students, professionals, land managers, practitioners, and researchers with a good understanding of the basic principles of hydrology and hydrologic processes.