ABSTRACT Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) are techniques and approaches recommended by state forestry agencies to protect water quality from forestry operations. Poorly designed roads and skid trails with inadequate BMPs can potentially generate disproportionately large quantities of sediment, which is the primary pollutant from forest operations. Bladed skid trails, which are constructed on steep terrain to allow skidder access, have greater potential to produce sediment than overland skid trails. BMP recommendations advise pre-harvest planning and layout of bladed skid trails in order to minimize erosion, yet equipment operators commonly construct bladed skid trails with minimal planning. We examined pre-harvest planned and logger-selected skid trails to characterize differences in BMP implementation and potential erosion between the two skid trail layout/construction strategies. A total of 25 and 27 sample locations on logger-selected and pre-harvest planned bladed skid trails were installed on two recent timber harvests on steep terrain in the Ridge and Valley region in Montgomery County, Virginia, USA. Both planned and logger-selected trails were on similar terrain and were constructed by the same logging crew. Assessments included skid trail slope, soil cover, water control structure implementation and spacing, trail network geometries, and predicted soil erosion. Analyses revealed that slopes, trail areas, and erosion rates were significantly lower on pre-harvest planned bladed skid trails. Overall, bladed skid trails with pre-harvest planning resulted in more effective water control BMPs and reduced potential for soil erosion than logger-selected trails. Results emphasize that pre-harvest planning of bladed skid trails is an appropriate BMP for steep terrain.

中文翻译：

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美国弗吉尼亚州 Ridge 和 Valley 地区规划和伐木者选择的带叶片滑道的林业最佳管理实践和模型侵蚀

摘要 林业最佳管理实践 (BMP) 是国家林业机构推荐的技术和方法，用于保护林业作业中的水质。设计不良的道路和滑道和 BMP 不足可能会产生不成比例的大量沉积物，这是森林作业的主要污染物。在陡峭的地形上建造的刀片式滑道比陆上滑道具有更大的产生沉积物的潜力。BMP 建议建议在收获前规划和布局带叶片的滑道，以最大程度地减少侵蚀，但设备操作员通常以最少的规划建造带叶片的滑道。我们检查了收获前计划和记录者选择的滑道，以表征两种滑道布局/施工策略之间 BMP 实施和潜在侵蚀的差异。在美国弗吉尼亚州蒙哥马利县 Ridge 和 Valley 地区陡峭地形上最近的两次木材采伐中，在记录者选择的和收获前计划的叶片滑道上安装了总共 25 和 27 个样本位置。计划中的和伐木者选择的小径都位于相似的地形上，并且由相同的伐木人员建造。评估包括滑道坡度、土壤覆盖、水控制结构实施和间距、步道网络几何形状和预测的土壤侵蚀。分析表明，在收获前计划的带叶片滑道上，坡度、小径面积和侵蚀率显着降低。全面的，与伐木者选择的小径相比，带有收获前规划的带叶片的滑道可以更有效地控制水的 BMP，并降低土壤侵蚀的可能性。结果强调，叶片滑道的收获前规划是适用于陡峭地形的 BMP。