The Impact of Modern Logging on Soil Disturbance, the State of Ground Cover and the Subsequent Regeneration of Trees in Boreal Forests of Russia

Abstract

—The article presents materials for studying the physical properties of the upper horizons of the soil, the species diversity of the living ground cover and the natural regeneration of trees in 1–15 years old clear-cuttings. A noticeable compaction of the soil is observed in the ruts of the passage of machines, mainly in the thickness of the soil 0–10 cm, but not in the between ruts sand the cutting strips. We found that the physical properties (bulk density, total porosity and aeration porosity) of the upper soil horizons depend on the age of cutting and the study site (p < 0.01). Soil compaction in the ruts decreases 9–15 years after logging to indicators in sites where the movement of machines was not carried out. The overgrowth of damaged sections in clear-cuts occurred through ruderal species and species with wide ecological amplitudes to environmental factors. This overgrowth stabilised 15 years after logging when the biodiversity level approached untouched stands. The regeneration of clear-cuts is mainly deciduous such as birch and aspen that mainly grew in the cutting strips. In the ruts and the between ruts, the amount of undergrowth is 2–7 times less than in cutting strips.