Effect of coppice forest clearance on soil moisture, temperature and certain selected soil characteristics

Abstract

The main goal of this study was to assess the effect of coppice forest removal on soil moistuie and temperature (e.g., maximum, minimum and mean daily temperatures) along with some selected soil poperties. The study was conducted in the Belgrad Forest in Istanbul. A coppice forest plot was selected in the forestland. Half of the plot was cleared as a treatment site while other half was left as a control plot. the plots were 100 in by 100 m in size. Soil moisture and temperature values were recorded at hourly intervals at 1 m and 50 cm soil depths, respectively. Soil samples in disturbed and undisturbed areas were collected at 0-5 cm soil depth and analyzed for saturation capacity (SC), hydraulic conductivity (HC), bulk density (BD), particle density (PD), total porosity (TP), sand silt and clay contents, electrical conductivity (EC). pH. loss on ignition (LOI), and organic matter content (OM). Two-tailed paired student t-test were used to compare means at an alpha level of 0,05. Results revealed that daily soil moisture significantly increased from 32% to 3796, daily temperature from 14.5 degrees C to 159 degrees C, daily maximum temperature from 14,6 degrees C to 16.2 degrees C, and daily minimum temperature 14.4 degrees C to 15.7 degrees C following coppice forest clearance. Clear-cutting of woody vegetation did riot ailed the soil sand, sill and clay contents, HD, PD, pH, and K values in the soil; however, it caused a significant increase from 1.3 g/cm(3) to 1.5 g/cm(3) in the BD and decreases from 6% to 3% in the OM content, from 17% to 8% in the 1.01, from 52% to 46% in the TP, from 51 an/min to 32 cm/min in the HC, and from 33% to 24% in the SC of the soil.