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Harvest Impacts on Forest Outflow in Coastal North Carolina

Weyerhaeuser Company, P.O. Box 1391, New Bern, NC 28563.

^* Corresponding author (lebom{at}wdni.com).

ABSTRACT

Ditch networks are common in coastal North Carolina to improve drainage necessary for crop and timber production. Forest outflow at three locations in a managed loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) forest with artificial drainage was monitored during 1986 to 1994 to evaluate how harvest and other normal silvicultural operations affect annual and seasonal outflow characteristics. Increased outflow and small increases in nutrient concentrations occurred following tree harvest; N concentrations for inorganic and organic fractions increased by 0.09 to 0.14 and 0.24 to 0.26 mg L^–1, respectively, while total P increased by 0 to 0.07 mg L^–1. For a 3-yr period beginning at harvest, increases in annual outflow, N export, and P export were 111 to 164 mm, 2.1 to 2.2 kg N ha^–1 yr^–1, and 0.12 to 0.36 kg P ha^–1 yr^–1, respectively, compared with baseline levels. Outflow and nutrient concentrations returned to baseline levels within 2 to 3 yr. Negligible change in the total suspended solids (TSS) concentration occurred following harvest and site preparation. On a landscape scale, these relatively small increases in annual nutrient exports associated with harvest and site preparation are further reduced to 4 to 7% above baseline levels when placed in the context of a 30- to 35-yr growth cycle for loblolly pine in coastal North Carolina.