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Long-Term Soil Productivity Study:

LTSP Home

Objectives of this Study

Tour a Study Site

  1. Site Selection
  2. Treatments
  3. Plot Set-up
  4. Measurements

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Microbial Processes Project Leader:
Debbie Page-Dumroese
email Debbie

Last Revised:

Microbial Processes > Long-Term Soil Productivity (LTSP) Study > Tour: 4 - Post-Harvest Measurements

Post-Harvest Measurements

Soil Measurements

  1. Soil erosion (soil cover, % surface disturbance water stable aggregates, soil depth change)
  2. Water availability (potential infiltration, saturated hydrolic conductivity, AWC, soil moisture at critical periods)
  3. Nutrient availability (soil cover, OM%, soil color)
  4. Root growth and uptake (including bulk density, soil strength, soil porosity, soil structure)

Vegetative Data

  1. Planted trees measured (1st, 3rd, and 5th years and at 5 year intervals after that)
  2. Other vegetation measured (height and %)
  3. Cumulative standing biomass and leaf surface areas estimated (5 year intervals for all vegetation)
  4. Plant damage
  5. Dry weight and nutrient content of current and year-old upper crown foliage and perennial understory vegetation

Plot in British Columbia with no compaction and heavy organic matter removal - 1 year after harvestC0OM2 treatment one year after harvest. (LTSP site, British Columbia, Canada - Note: Canadian scientists use a different numbering system for treatments so signs in photos do not correspond to U.S. treatment numbers)
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Plot in British Columbia with medium compaction and no organic matter removal - 1 year after harvestC1OM0 treatment one year after harvest. (LTSP site, British Columbia, Canada - Note: Canadian scientists use a different numbering system for treatments so signs in photos do not correspond to U.S. treatment numbers)
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wood becoming part of the soilWood becoming part of the soil.
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Conifer trees shown - tree planted in area of heavy soil compaction grew to be much smaller than the tree planted in control group.Trees planted in the plot treated with severe compaction (C2) grew to be much smaller the trees planted in the control group (LTSP site in California).
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Preparing CO2 soil samplesPreparing CO2 soil samples.
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Preparing samples in the labPreparing samples at the lab.
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Extracting samples in the labExtracting samples in the lab.
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Technician conducting soil tests in the labForest Service technician conducting soil tests in the lab.
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Forest Service personnel looking through microscopes at the lab.Forest Service personnel counting micorrhizae at the lab.
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