Effects of Shovel Logging and Rubber-tired Skidding on Surface Soil Attributes in a Selectively Harvested Central Hardwood Stand

Shovel logging, a ground-based, non-tractive yarding method that uses an excavator fixed with a grapple instead of a bucket, offers the potential to yard felled wood with less impact to forest soils than conventional rubber-tired skidding methods. The results of this study, carried out in Apalachian hardwoods, indicated that, although neither conventional nor shovel logging methods can be recommended over the other based solely on short-term impacts to soil bulk density, shovel logging resulted in significantly less surface soil disturbance. In addition, shovel logging eliminated the need for primary skid trail construction, identified as a potential source of particulate matter that may contribute to nonpoint source pollution