Logging can decrease water infiltration into forest soils, study finds
Soil water infiltration, or the ability of soil to absorb water and allow it to move through different soil layers, is an important environmental factor in forests, especially forests undergoing logging operations. This property can affect how quickly those forests can regenerate after being logged. Now, University of Missouri researchers have found that logging operations can negatively affect soil density and water infiltration within forests, particularly along makeshift logging roads and landing areas where logs are stored before being trucked to sawmills. Stephen Anderson, the William A. Albrecht Distinguished Professor of Soil Science at Mizzou, says changing the soil density and water infiltration within forests can cause many different problems.