Database

Perform logging with ecological aspects in mind

Habitat	Function	Type of work
Forest	Soil system	Clear-cutting

Forest management should avoid, as far as possible, significant soil and land degradation. Any movement in the forest has an impact on the soil and the soil, and it is important to minimise this impact.

Description of the action

Perform logging and extraction at a suitable time and with techniques that minimize soil damage. Avoid deep ruts on clear-cut areas; use branches to reinforce extraction roads on wet soils. Often, it is reasonable to log forests on moist soils (e.g., meadowsweet, crowberry-blueberry, blueberry-decayed peat, and wood sorrel-decayed peat habitat types) during dry summers (e.g., June, July, and August) rather than relying on cold winters.

Why?

Deep ruts can cause localized soil waterlogging and are also aesthetically unpleasing. The issue is not the weight of harvesters and forwarders but their ground pressure. Using wider tires and tracks can reduce ground pressure. If deep ruts form during logging, they should be leveled after logging operations.