Impact on Soil Physical Properties Related to a High Mechanization Level in the Row Thinning of a Korean Pine Stand

In ground-based harvesting, machine traffic can cause soil physical disturbances including excessive compaction, the displacement of surface and topsoil, rutting. These impacts indirectly hamper seedling survival tree growth because reduced permeability root growth. However, extent disturbance in mechanized row thinning by harvester forwarder systems South Korea is unclear. Therefore, our objectives were to determine two types harvesters, textures, extraction methods on compaction rutting a Korean Pine stand. The results showed that passes affected disturbances. bulk density inside tracks (at 0–10 10–20 cm depths) after (wheeled vs. tracked) increased 17 27% 30 20%, respectively. largest impact was recorded for forwarding track significant differences observed between reference locations. Furthermore, depth trails significantly higher than trails. Thus, application brush mat may reduce machine-induced compaction. provide useful information help forest engineers field managers design environmentally sound harvesting operations.