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Soil Fertility Changes following Clearcut and Whole-tree Harvesting and Burning in Central Michigan¹

ABSTRACT

Soil fertility (available Ca, Mg, K, P, and total N) was evaluated at the time of and 1 and 5 years after clearcut and whole-tree harvest of adjacent oak-aspen forests. Surface mineral soil at both sites showed increased K and decreased N concentrations 1 year following harvest. A wildfire that burned both sites shortly thereafter generally increased the nutrient concentrations at each site, but smaller increases occurred at the whole-tree harvest site. Five years after cutting (4 years after burning) soil Ca and P levels at both sites were higher than the concentrations at the time of harvest, while K and N were similar to original levels. Calcium and Mg concentrations at the clearcut site were 88 and 75% higher than the levels at the whole-tree site 5 years after harvest. The increased soil fertility observed could provide a valuable nutrient supply to the succeeding forest stand, but net nutrient outputs through harvest and burning could also eventually reduce the already low productivity of these sites.

¹ Contribution from the School of Natural Resources, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.

² Former Graduate Student Assistant and Professor, respectively. The Authors are now Watershed Management Extension Specialist and Professor, respectively, School of Forestry, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR 97331.

Received for publication June 15, 1981. Accepted for publication January 14, 1982.

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