L03b-Writing Soil Profile Descriptions & Forest Soils
L03b-Writing Soil Profile Descriptions & Forest Soils
L03b-Writing Soil Profile Descriptions & Forest Soils
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Forest Soils
Forest trees depend
directly upon the soil
for physical
support, nutrition, and
water
The importance of soils
in the life and health of
the forest has not been
understood until recent
years.
The need for
management of
agricultural soils has
been studied for a
hundreds years.
German scientists were
the first to actively
established the
importance of soils and
the role they play in
forestry.
Other German scientists
recognized that forest
soils were most fertile
where there were no
removals of forest
products,
and poorest where
removals were intensive.
Courses in Forest Soils in the U.S.
Describe where
you have
obtained an
experience in a
forest.
What do you
remember most
about this
experience?
US Forest Service Research is
centered on two areas of work:
First is work on
nutrient cycling,
plant nutrition,
soil moisture,
plant growth relationships,
soil microbiological functions
soil quality.
Second = general area of
pollution involving:
Sedimentation from soil,
chemical deposition and
water flow through
ecosystems.
Main research objective :
enhance soil and
ecosystem sustainability.
This joint National Forest
System and Forest Service
Research and Development
project was initially
established to evaluate
timber management impacts
on long term soil productivity
To increase the accuracy of the study, monitoring
efforts want to:
Purpose: To establish
linkages between
experimental results and
actual field conditions on
commercially logged sites
Note: the study of
forests soils is similar to
the study of agricultural
soils – determine the
management needed for
sustained yield and still
protect the environment.