The projected increase in the worldwide demand for forest products over the coming decades may lead to more intensive forest management. This will involve extension of the area of planted forests, increased mechanization and greater pressure to extract timber from sensitive zones such as steep slopes, wet and heavy soils. However, such intensification may place soil protection and ecosystem services provided by forests at risk. In this study, the impacts of mechanized forest site preparation (shearing and ripping) and manual site preparation were evaluated during the first 2.5 years and 15 years after plantation establishment in a soil susceptible to erosion and compaction in a temperate humid climate. Site productivity, soil carbon storage, soil fertility, soil hydrological properties and protection against erosion and run-off were evaluated as ecosystem services provided by forest soils. Soil loss due to manual site preparation was 25 g m⁻² yr^-1, while annual soil loss ranged from 98 to 3128 g m⁻² in sheared sites and from 345 to 4652 g m⁻² in ripped sites. However, soil loss was negligible 2.5 years after site preparation. By contrast, soil compaction persisted during 15 years and was significantly higher in mechanically prepared plots than in manually prepared plots. The changes in soil water holding capacity persisted 15 years after site preparation. The available water content was significantly lower in mechanically prepared plots (by shearing and ripping) than in manually prepared plots. During the period 2002–2004, tree height was between 13 and 52 % higher in manually prepared sites than in sheared sites, while in ripped sites tree height was between 91 % higher and 62 % lower than in the manually prepared plots. However, no significant differences in tree height were observed 15 years after site preparation. By contrast, significant differences in the quadratic mean diameter of trees were observed 15 years after site preparation, with tree volumes being highest in manually prepared plots. The findings show that manual site preparation preserves forest ecosystem services such as site productivity and water regulation and can be considered a means of conserving soil and water and a “climate smart” approach in plantation forestry.

未来几十年全球对林产品需求的预计增长可能会导致更集约化的森林管理。这将涉及种植林面积的扩大、机械化程度的提高以及从陡坡、潮湿和重土壤等敏感区域提取木材的更大压力。然而，这种集约化可能会使森林提供的土壤保护和生态系统服务面临风险。在这项研究中，在温带潮湿气候中易受侵蚀和压实的土壤中，在人工林建立后的前 2.5 年和 15 年期间，评估了机械化森林整地（剪切和撕裂）和手动整地的影响。立地生产力、土壤碳储存、土壤肥力、土壤水文特性以及防止侵蚀和径流的保护被评估为森林土壤提供的生态系统服务。人工整地造成的土壤流失为 25 克⁻² yr ^-1，而剪切场地的年土壤流失范围为 98 至 3128 gm ^-2和 345 至 4652 gm ^-2在翻录的网站。然而，整地后 2.5 年的土壤流失可以忽略不计。相比之下，土壤压实持续了 15 年，机械准备的地块比人工准备的地块显着更高。整地后土壤持水量的变化持续了 15 年。机械准备的地块（通过剪切和撕裂）的可用水含量显着低于手动准备的地块。在 2002 年至 2004 年期间，人工准备场地的树高比剪切场地高 13% 至 52%，而撕裂场地的树高比人工准备地块高 91% 至 62%。然而，整地后 15 年未观察到树高的显着差异。相比之下，在整地 15 年后观察到树木的二次平均直径存在显着差异，人工准备的地块中树木体积最大。研究结果表明，人工整地可以保护森林生态系统服务，如场地生产力和水调节，可以被视为保护水土的手段和人工林中的“气候智能”方法。