Influence of timber harvesting operations and streamside management zone effectiveness on sediment delivery to headwater streams in appalachia

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Disturbances created by timber harvesting equipment and associated haul roads and skid trails can create overland sediment flows (sediment paths), especially in steeply sloping terrain, leading to stream sedimentation. This study investigated the effect of variables associated with GPS tracked harvest equipment movement, skid trail development and retirement, topography, and streamside management zone (SMZ) width and tree retention on sediment delivery to streams. While the intensity of harvest equipment traffic was not correlated with sediment path development, the presence and location of skid trails were. All of the sediment paths were found to originate at water control structures, influenced by microtopographic features, on the skid trails directly adjacent to SMZs. Mesic slopes were associated with increased sediment path development across all SMZ configurations. Two factors, the accumulation of coarse logging debris in the SMZ and the increased distance of skid trails to streams, were both correlated with decreased sediment path development. The study provides insight into how these variables interact and can be used to develop site-specific guidelines for SMZs in steeply sloping terrain that could improve their efficiency and effectiveness.

Original languageEnglish
Article number623
JournalForests
Volume11
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2020

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 by the authors.

Funding

Funding: Funding for this project was provided by the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment's SB 271 Water Quality Program. The work was also supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mclntire-Stennis Research Program (Accession Number 1005547). Funding: Funding for this project was provided by the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment’s SB 271 Water Quality Program. The work was also supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, McIntire-Stennis Research Program (Accession Number 1005547).

FundersFunder number
McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research Program1005547
Mclntire-Stennis Research Program
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Food and the Environment
U.S. Department of Agriculture
US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

    Keywords

    • Best management practices
    • Global positioning system
    • Logging
    • Sedimentation

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Forestry

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