Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.5552/crojfe.2022.1054
Use of Impact Penetrometer to Determine Changes in Soil Compactness After Entracon Sioux EH30 Timber Harvesting
Mariusz Kormanek
; University of Agriculture in Kraków Faculty of Forestry Department of Forest Utilization, Engineering and Forest Techniques Al. 29- listopada 46 31-423 Kraków POLAND
Jiři Dvořák
; Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences Institute of Forest Use of Forest Engineering and Technology Kamycka 1176 165 21 Prague 6 – Suchdol CZECH REPUBLIC
Abstract
Wood harvesting with the use of wheeled harvesters is now common in Polish and Czech
forests. While moving in the forest, the wheels of these machines affect the forest soil and the
extent of this impact is interesting. The paper presents the results of measurements of the
changes that occur in the soil on the operational trails after the timber harvesting using the
Entracon Sioux EH30 thinning harvester. The measurements were taken on fragments of three
operational trails, in and between the ruts and at a distance of 1.0 m off the trail. An impact
penetrometer was used to measure the penetration resistance, soil samples were collected to
determine the bulk density and moisture content, and soil deformations on the trail were
measured with a profile meter. Unit pressures exerted by harvester wheels on the ground were
determined. It was shown that in the places where the harvester wheels pass, even of a small
weight (5.73 tons, 8 wheels) and with unit pressures of the wheels on the ground <50 kPa,
changes in soil parameters occurred. A statistically significant increase in penetration resistance
in relation to the control occurred at a depth of up to 35 cm, while at a depth of up to
5 cm the increase was more than 2-fold. There was also a slight decrease in soil moisture
content (up to 7.9%) and an increase (up to 8.4%) in bulk density in the ruts, while rut depths
were small and reached 4 cm. As it was shown, the impact penetrometer, simple in design,
which was assumed to be used for measurements, and which is not used in this type of research
in forestry, despite its limitations, can be used to determine the compactness of the soil and its
changes resulting from machine work.
Keywords
impact penetrometer, forest harvester, compactness, forest soil, operational trail
Hrčak ID:
290854
URI
Publication date:
30.6.2022.
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