Rocky Mountain Research Station

Title: Soil quality is fundamental to ensuring healthy forests

Author: Page-Dumroese, D.; Jurgensen, M.; Neary, D.; Curran, M.; Trettin, C.

Date: 2008

Source: In: Lee, D.C.; Beatty, J.; Shaw, C.G.; Pye, J.M.; Sands, Y., eds. Forest Environmental Threats. Forest Encyclopedia Network (last modified: 2008-11-14). Online: http://www.threats.forestencyclopedia.net/p/p3011. [2009, April 6].

Description: Government agencies, industrial landowners, and private landowners often strive to maintain soil quality after site management activities in order to maintain site productivity, hydrologic function, and ecosystem health. Soil disturbance resulting from timber harvesting, prescribed fire, or site preparation activities can cause declines, improvements, or have no effect on site productivity and hydrologic function. In many cases, detailed soil resource data can be used to determine the stress level and ecosystem health of stands and may be one method used to determine the risk of disease or insect outbreak.

Keywords: soil, forests, ecosystem health

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Citation

Page-Dumroese, D.; Jurgensen, M.; Neary, D.; Curran, M.; Trettin, C.  2008.  Soil quality is fundamental to ensuring healthy forests.   In: Lee, D.C.; Beatty, J.; Shaw, C.G.; Pye, J.M.; Sands, Y., eds. Forest Environmental Threats. Forest Encyclopedia Network (last modified: 2008-11-14). Online: http://www.threats.forestencyclopedia.net/p/p3011. [2009, April 6]..