Abstract
The hardness in soil was investigated in four forest areas in Indonesia after a crawler tractor passed over it several times. The hardness in soil, expressed by bulk density, was measured at various depth and various distances from the main track. Recovery of soil hardness was also examined. The bulk density increased markedly by the first and second pass of the tractor, but did not change after the fifth pass. The bulk density was highest just under the main and the log track, and decreased with an increase in distance from the track (0.5 to 1.5 m). The greatest increase in bulk density was observed at the depth of 0–5 cm. The soil hardness tended to show recovery within 9 years after logging, though not completely. Growth and root penetration of seedlingsShorea selanica decreased with the increase of soil hardness. We considered that the 2 tractor passes that caused bulk density of 1.3 g/cm3 is critical for the growth ofS. selanica’s seedling.
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Matangaran, J.R., Kobayashi, H. The effect of tractor logging on forest soil compaction and growth ofShorea selanica seedlings in Indonesia. J For Res 4, 13–15 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02760318
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02760318