Experimental findings in forest soil mechanics

Forest is a source of natural resources that are essential for social production and human welfare. It is a running gear in the mechanism of biosphere maintenance, housing the greatest amount of sun energy and living material. It is one of the sources of oxygen on earth. When logging causes significant damage to forest soils, regeneration is not the only what is disturbed. In fact, the productivity of second-growth forest will fall, the hydrologic status of soil under disturbed forest will drop, and the overall forest landscape will change. Such after-effects are long-standing, and will be reminding of themselves for over several decades after logging. The principles of sustainable forest management are outlined so that stress the necessity of keeping forest soils undisturbed when using forestland. Our article deals with physical and mechanical properties of forest soil and subsoil, determines what way of using them is the most meaningful, and what possibilities are to take in order to reduce the risk of soil damage. A series of lab experiments were held to achieve this goal. The procedures were guided by GOST 5180-84. For analysis, 10 soil samples were collected. Research resulted in data on the effect that forest machines have on soil. Research results can be used to plan logging process that would be more friendly to the environment.