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Long-Term Soil Productivity Study:

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Debbie Page-Dumroese
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Microbial Processes > Long-Term Soil Productivity (LTSP) Study > Study Details: 7 - Methods - Treatments

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

Treatments

What should we manipulate? The historical record shows that soil porosity and site organic matter are singularly important. They have a major role in regulating the fundamental processes controlling forest growth and site productivity. Thus, they become the primary variables to manipulate through controlled experiments. Manipulations should create conditions bracketing the extremes possible under operational conditions. There will be 11 treatments—nine 1 acre plots with the following combinations:

COMPACTION LEVEL ORGANIC MATTER LEVEL
No compaction (C0)
No compaction (C0)
No compaction (C0)		 Bole only removal (OM0)
Bole and crown removal (OM1)
Total vegetation removal (OM2)
Medium compaction (C1)
Medium compaction (C1)
Medium compaction (C1)		 Bole only removal (OM0)
Bole and crown removal (OM1)
Total vegetation removal (OM2)
Maximum compaction (C2)
Maximum compaction (C2)
Maximum compaction (C2)		 Bole only removal (OM0)
Bole and crown removal (OM1)
Total vegetation removal (OM2)

In addition 2 treatments can be applied to each location to test the efficacy of ameliorative treatments. These 9 (or 11) treatments will be replicated three times.

Biomass will be removed soon after felling in the OM treatments in a way that minimizes soil disturbance. Crossing compaction treatments C1 and C2 with organic matter removal treatments OM0 and OM1 requires removing and storing surface organic matter before compaction, and replacing it afterwards. The P.I. will choose the most effective procedure for each site.

A buffer strip at least 20-m wide should be established about the perimeter of the study site.

Plots will be monumented at each corner with permanent posts and described. A standard weather station will be installed at each site.

For OM0, trees will be felled on the plots, delimbed, and the boles removed. For OM1, the whole tree will be removed and delimbed (if necessary) off the plot. For OM2, the whole tree will be removed and the plots raked, etc. to remove all vegetation, downed woody debris and surface organic matter.

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