Table 5 Soil sensitivity topics (including indicators of sensitive sites, recommended actions, and potential consequences of not taking actions) addressed in forest biomass harvesting guidelines, as percent occurrence in 21 North American and 10 European jurisdictions or regions
From: Sustainable forest biomass: a review of current residue harvesting guidelines
| Indicator, consequence or actiona | North America | Europe |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated site indicators | ||
| Site classification, soil survey, expert system, etc. | 86 | 90 |
| Specific-site indicators | ||
| Slope | 86 | 30 |
| Soil texture | 62 | 50 |
| Soil depth | 62 | 10 |
| Soil moisture | ||
| Dry soil or site | 48 | 40 |
| Poorly drained, or wetland, or organic soil | 57 | 40 |
| Soil organic matter | 14 | 10 |
| Soil fertility | 62 | 90 |
| Soil physical damage | ||
| Consequences | ||
| Erosion, mass wasting, or displacement | 100 | 70 |
| Compaction or rutting | 86 | 80 |
| Soil disturbanceb | 52 | 30 |
| Actions | ||
| Restrict residue removal on steep slopes | 76 | 50 |
| Minimize area of landings, roads, trails | 81 | 30 |
| Restrict residue removal to dry or frozen soils | 71 | 50 |
| Restrict number of entries/passes | 43 | 40 |
| Retain harvest residue (see Table 9) | 90 | 80 |
| Use appropriate equipment | 38 | 30 |
| Reduce amount of harvest residue removed | 14 | 0 |
| Soil fertility | ||
| Consequences | ||
| Loss of nutrients | 90 | 100 |
| Actions | ||
| Restrict residue removal on shallow soils | 67 | 30 |
| Restrict residue removal on rocky, stony areas | 10 | 20 |
| Restrict residue removal on low-fertility soils | 38 | 90 |
| Restrict residue removal on weathered soils, or soils with low buffering capacity, or acid-sensitive or highly acidic soils | 10 | 30 |
| Restrict residue removal on organic soils | 62 | 40 |
| Restrict residue removal on sandy soils | 38 | 50 |
| Retain harvest residue (see Table 9) | 100 | 100 |