Microbial Processes > Long-Term Soil Productivity (LTSP) Study > Study Details: 1 - Background

Evaluating Management Impacts on Long-Term Soil Productivity: A Research and National Forest System Cooperative Study

Principal Investigator: Debbie Page-Dumroese

Background

Sustaining the wood-growing capacity of commercial forests is a fundamental goal of forest management in North America. Rotations are shortening, residue use is increasing, and site preparation is intensifying in many regions. Removing more organic matter increases the loss of nutrients and organic materials important to soil resiliency and microbial activity. More mobile machinery is used each year in harvesting and site preparation, thereby increasing the risk of soil compaction. Do such practices threaten the long-term productivity of the land? Scientific evidence, though rare and fragmented, suggests this may be so. Thus, sustained, long-term productivity of forest land is emerging as a legal and scientific issue. As the world's largest forest management and forest research agency, the US Forest Service has lead responsibility for tackling this issue.

The following is a link to a generic study plan that was created in 1989 to provide a framework for the development of detailed cooperative study plans by Forest Service Stations and Regions:

Study Plan for Evaluation Timber Management Impacts on Long-Term Soil Productivity: A Research and National Forest System Cooperative Study (PDF - 944 KB) NOTE: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download) to view PDF files.

Next page - Regulations >