Long-term logging experiment reveals how protecting the forest floor helps preserve soil carbon
Forest soils store an estimated 40% of the world's terrestrial carbon, but estimates suggest that around 15–30% of that soil carbon is lost when a forest is harvested. Tracking such losses can be tricky: wildfires, insects, disease and past forest management can all affect forest soil carbon stores, and tree type, climate and harvesting method can all affect how much carbon is lost.
A recent long-term logging experiment in British Columbia has demonstrated the importance of protecting forest floors to preserve soil carbon. Forest soils contain around 40% of the world's terrestrial carbon, but harvesting can lead to the loss of 15-30% of this soil carbon. The British Columbia Long-Term Soil Productivity (BC-LTSP) study tracked changes in soil carbon over 20 years following various harvesting methods at 12 forest sites across four biogeoclimatic zones.
Researchers found that intact forest floors retained more carbon, with a 5% decline after 20 years compared to a 14% increase in mineral soil carbon. Stem-only harvesting preserved 15% more forest floor carbon than whole-tree harvesting. When both harvest residue and the forest floor were removed, soil carbon dropped by 52% within five years and remained 33% below preharvest levels for 20 years.
Recovery time for soil carbon to return to preharvest levels ranged from 22 to 86 years. The study concludes that maintaining organic residues and protecting the forest floor are crucial for preserving soil carbon during logging operations.
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