Iranian Journal of Forest

Iranian Journal of Forest

Impact of Norway Spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) for Soil Restoration: Long-Term Influence on Skid Trail Soil Physical Properties and Fine Roots

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
R Dehghan 1
M Nikooy 2
Kh Sagheb Talebi 3
A Salehi 4
F Tavankar 5
1 Ph.D. Student., Faculty of natural resources, the University of Guilan, Sowmeh Sara, Iran.
2 Prof., Dept. of forest science and engineering, Faculty of natural resources, the University of Guilan, Sowmeh Sara, Iran
3 Prof., Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran
4 Associated Prof., Dept. of forest science and engineering, Faculty of natural resources, the University of Guilan, Sowmeh Sara, Iran
5 Associated Prof., Dept. of Forestry, Kha.C., Islamic Azad University, Khalkhal, Iran.
10.22034/ijf.2026.566999.2098
Abstract
Introduction: Soils, as non-renewable resources, are crucial components of forest ecosystems that ensure forest productivity and biodiversity conservation by regulating water and nutrients cycles. Soil compaction is one of the most pronounced consequences of mechanized logging operations, caused by imposed vertical and horizontal stresses on the soil. Forest managers have to minimize the impact of logging operations on soil for sustainable forestry. A necessary prerequisite for achieving this goal is the access to precise and profound knowledge of the influence of logging operations on forest soils. The application of biological tillage is one of the methods to accelerate soil recovery on skid trails. In recent years, there has been a strong emphasis on enhancing the soil conditions of skid trails by planting trees. In recent years, much emphasis has been placed on improving soil conditions on logging routes by planting trees. Despite numerous studies on soil restoration, few have addressed long-term changes (approximately 40 years) or quantified the role of fine roots in natural regeneration contexts. This study evaluated the long-term restoration of soils on logging routes using Norway spruce planted inside Skid Trail.
Material and Methods: The effect of planting Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) on soil physical properties and fine roots was investigated in three treatments: skid trail planted with Norway spruce (NSIST), Norway spruce inside the forest (NSIF), and unplanted skid trail (UST) and in four soil depth classes (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40 cm).
Results: The results of the study showed that there was no significant difference between the average moisture percentages of the two treatments, NSIST (19.00 ± 7.53) and NSIF (18.35 ± 4.75), whereas the value of this variable in the 0-10 cm depth class (24.33 ± 8.66) was significantly higher than those at the other depths studied. The results of the comparison of the average soil texture components did not show any significant difference between the treatments (α≥0.05). The average soil bulk density (g/cm3) was highest in the (UST) (1.15 ± 0.12), (NSIST) (1.14 ± 0.11) and (NSIF) (1.10±0.08) classes, respectively, and the values differed significantly. Also, with increasing depth, the soil bulk density increased significantly, so that the lowest soil bulk density (g/cm3) was observed at a depth of 0-10 cm (1.02 ± 0.01) and the highest value was observed in the 30-40 cm class (1.28 ± 0.05). A similar trend was observed in the results for the percentage of total porosity. The investigation of the weight of the fine roots (gr/dm3) in the treatments showed that the highest amount of fine roots was observed in the (NSIF) (0.1119 ± 0.05 gr/dm3) and the lowest amount of fine roots was observed in the treatment (UST) (0.0134 ± 0.009 gr/dm3) with a significant difference among treatments.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that planting this species did not lead to the complete restoration of soil physical properties or fine-root biomass. However, it significantly improved soil bulk density and fine-root abundance in the 0–10 cm soil layer. These findings only reflect the behavior of this species under the specific conditions of the present study and do not constitute a recommendation for its use in the restoration of skid trails in Hyrcanian forests, particularly given ecological considerations and the priority of using native species in bioengineering programs within these ecosystems. Nevertheless, the results provide a useful basis for future comparative studies on the performance of native species.
Keywords
Bioengineering
Forest plantation
Ground-based skidding
Soil bulk density
Soil compaction
Reforestation
Timber harvesting
Subjects
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Iranian Journal of Forest
Volume 18, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
Autumn 2026
Pages 251-269

  • Receive Date 20 December 2025
  • Revise Date 21 January 2027
  • Accept Date 16 February 2026