Evidence for increased P availability on wheel tracks 10 to 40 years after forest machinery traffic

The use of heavy machinery for timber harvesting causes soil damage, which may restrict forest soil functions over decades. Numerous studies have demonstrated the negative impact of soil compaction on soil physical properties, but the effects of compaction of forest soils on soil chemical and biological processes like the phosphorus availability are largely unknown. Aim of our study was to analyze the effect of skidding activity on the P dynamics on skid trails and the soil recovery ability after skidding. Furthermore, we wanted to assess if acid phosphatase activity is an appropriate indicator of soil structure damage after compaction.