Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6541559 | Forest Ecology and Management | 2018 | 8 Pages |
Abstract
Across all age classes (time since harvest) less soil surface had remained undisturbed at the stump harvesting sites (52%) than at the sites where only mechanical site preparation (28%) had been carried out. Thus, the findings of this study indicate that soil disturbance caused by stump harvesting can exist on forest soil surface for more than a decade following harvest. The total biomass of the stump-root system in the stand was estimated to 39.3â¯Mgâ¯haâ1 and 79% of this biomass was removed during stump harvesting and consequently, 8.3â¯Mgâ¯haâ1 of stump-root biomass remained in soil. The stump-root system accounted for 17% of the whole-tree biomass, and coarse roots and fine coarse roots represented a significant portion of it (73%). Thus, the stump-root system represents a large biomass component in boreal forest stands. However, forest management utilizing stumps may result in carbon losses from the stand.
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Authors
Lilli Kaarakka, Janne Vaittinen, Mikael Marjanen, Sofie Hellsten, Mikko Kukkola, Anna Saarsalmi, Marjo Palviainen, Heljä-Sisko Helmisaari,