Maria Nobles, Wallace Dillon, and Monday Mbila. Alabama A&M Univ, Dept Of Plant & Soil Science, Normal, AL 35762-1208
Forest management practices such as prescribed burning and partial thinning are commonly used to achieve undergrowth control in forest ecosystems. Prescribed treatments influence the physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of soil. The study was conducted in order to monitor changes in soil properties immediately following forest ecosystem disturbance in southeastern mixed pine-hardwood forests. Three burning and three thinning patterns were applied to the forest plots. Soil and forest floor samples from the treatment plots were collected shortly after the treatment for routine analyses as well as C and N stock determination. Changes in carbon density, nitrogen pools, pH, soil texture and CEC were identified, and the impact of burning and thinning on these properties were accessed.