TY - JOUR

T1 - Changes in soil’s chemical and biochemical properties induced by road geometry in the hyrcanian temperate forests

AU - Rahbarisisakht, Saeid

AU - Moayeri, Mohammad Hadi

AU - Hayati, Elyas

AU - Sadeghi, Seyed Mohammad Moein

AU - Kepfer-Rojas, Sebastian

AU - Pahlavani, Mohammad Hadi

AU - Schmidt, Inger Kappel

AU - Borz, Stelian Alexandru

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Forest roads play an important role in providing access to forest resources. However, they can significantly impact the adjacent soil and vegetation. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of road geometry (RG) on the chemical and biochemical properties of adjacent soils to assist in environmentally friendly forest road planning in mountainous areas. Litter layer, canopy cover, soil organic carbon (SOC) stock, total nitrogen (TN), the activity of dehydrogenase (DHA), and urease (UA) enzymes at a 0–20 cm soil depth were measured by sampling at various distances from the road edge to 100 m into the forest interior. The measurements were done for three road geometries (RG), namely straight, curved, and bent roads, to ensure data heterogeneity and to reflect the main geometric features of the forest roads. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the effects of RG on the measured variables were statistically significant. Spearman’s correlation test clearly showed a strong positive correlation between environmental conditions, SOC, TN, DHA, and UA for given RGs. Based on piecewise linear regression analysis, the down slope direction of the straight and the inside direction of bent roads accounted for the lowest and highest ranges of ecological effects, respectively. The results of this study contribute to our understanding of the environmental effects brought about by road geometry, which can be important for forest road managers when applying the best management practices.

AB - Forest roads play an important role in providing access to forest resources. However, they can significantly impact the adjacent soil and vegetation. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of road geometry (RG) on the chemical and biochemical properties of adjacent soils to assist in environmentally friendly forest road planning in mountainous areas. Litter layer, canopy cover, soil organic carbon (SOC) stock, total nitrogen (TN), the activity of dehydrogenase (DHA), and urease (UA) enzymes at a 0–20 cm soil depth were measured by sampling at various distances from the road edge to 100 m into the forest interior. The measurements were done for three road geometries (RG), namely straight, curved, and bent roads, to ensure data heterogeneity and to reflect the main geometric features of the forest roads. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the effects of RG on the measured variables were statistically significant. Spearman’s correlation test clearly showed a strong positive correlation between environmental conditions, SOC, TN, DHA, and UA for given RGs. Based on piecewise linear regression analysis, the down slope direction of the straight and the inside direction of bent roads accounted for the lowest and highest ranges of ecological effects, respectively. The results of this study contribute to our understanding of the environmental effects brought about by road geometry, which can be important for forest road managers when applying the best management practices.

KW - Biogeochemistry

KW - Enzyme

KW - Forest road

KW - Hyrcanian temperate forests

KW - Organic carbon

KW - Road-effect zone

KW - Soil

KW - Total nitrogen

U2 - 10.3390/f12121805

DO - 10.3390/f12121805

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85121597047

VL - 12

JO - Forests

JF - Forests

SN - 1999-4907

IS - 12

M1 - 1805

ER -