Evaluating the Effectiveness of Mulching for Reducing Soil Erosion in Cut Slope and Fill Slope of Forest Roads in Hyrcanian Forests

Forest operations often enhance runoff and soil loss in roads skid trails, where cut slopes fill are the most important source of sediment. This study evaluated effectiveness four erosion control treatments applied to slope segments forest different ages Hyrcanian northern Iran. The treatment combinations, each replicated three times, included classes mulch cover (bare [BS], wood chips [WCH], sawdust [SC], rice straw [RSC]), two levels side (cut slope), gradient (20–25% 40–45%), road age (three, 10 20 years after construction). Mulch significantly reduced average surface volume sediment yield compared BS. Regardless treatment, greater under natural rainfall occurred on steeper gradients all decreased with increasing both gradients. On slopes, from plots covered WCH (17.63 l per plot, 2.43 g m–2) was lower than those SC (22.81 3.50 m–2), which RSC (29.13 4.41 m–2 BS (34.61 4.94 m–2). (14.13 1.99 (20.01 3.23 (24.52 4.06 (29.03 4.47 Surface successfully controlled losses following construction, particularly steep high potential.