Canadian Forest Service Publications
The impact of clearcutting and partial harvesting systems on population dynamics of soil nematodes in coastal Douglas-fir forests. 2000. Panesar, T.S.; Marshall, V.G.; Barclay, H.J. Pedobiologia 44: 641-665.
Year: 2000
Issued by: Pacific Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 5543
Language: English
Availability: PDF (request by e-mail)
Available from the Journal's Web site. †
DOI: 10.1078/S0031-4056(04)70079-7
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Abstract
Soil nematodes were used as bioindicators to compare possible differences in soil ecological conditions in Douglas-fir forests harvested by clearcutting and by two partial-harvesting systems, namely shelterwood and extended rotation. An unlogged forest block was used as a control treatment. The pre- and post-harvest comparisons were based on total abundance of the nematodes, their trophic structure, and relative abundance of the nematode taxa found in the four blocks. The nematode and soil data were obtained bimonthly over a year. Pre-harvest nematode abundance and taxonomic composition were similar at the four blocks. Post-harvest data were obtained 6-7 months after the harvesting treatments were instituted. The post-harvest abundance at the three logged blocks was reduced to varying levels as compared to the control block, and analysis of variance showed that the severity of impact of the harvesting treatments on nematode abundance ranked as: clearcut @ shelterwood > extended rotation @ unlogged control. However, the taxonomic and trophic structures of the nematode community, which consisted of 48 taxa in these forests, were only slightly altered by any of the harvesting treatments as shown by maturity and diversity indices and by multivariate analysis.