Effects of Logging Operations on Soil Physical Properties and Soil Erosion in a Hill Dipterocarp Forest of Peninsular Malaysia
The effects of logging operations on soil physical properties and soil erosion in logged-over forest occurred mainly on severely disturbed soil, particularly on the skid trail and logging road. Erosion plots were established i n these areas to quantify the amount of surface runoff and soil loss...
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Main Author: | |
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Format: | Thesis |
Language: | English English |
Published: |
1992
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/10314/1/FP_1992_3_A.pdf |
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Summary: | The effects of logging operations on soil physical
properties and soil erosion in logged-over forest occurred
mainly on severely disturbed soil, particularly on the skid
trail and logging road. Erosion plots were established i n
these areas to quantify the amount of surface runoff and soil
loss. Soil samples from the upper layer of the skid trail,
logging road and undisturbed area were analyzed for soil
physical properties.
Significant changes in soil physical properties w ere
observed as a result of logging operations. The bulk density
increased by 32 percent on the skid trail and 42 percent on the
logging road, and the total porosity reduced by 62 and 69 percent, respectively. Logging operations not only reduced the
total porosity but also changed the shape and size of pores.
About 82 percent of the total porosity on undisturbed area
consisted of elongated pores, 18.2 percent transmission pores
and 11.4 percent fissures pores. On the skid trail, the total
porosity consisted of 62 percent elongated pores, 6.2 percent
transmission and 4.9 percent fissures pores and on the logging
road, the figures are 35, 6.4 and 2.6 percent, respectively.
Thus the infiltration rate is more rapid in undisturbed forest
soil than in the skid trail and logging road because it is the
elongated pores that play an important role in water
transmission. The higher the infiltration rate the lower is the
surface runoff. |
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