Mitigating effects of slash on soil disturbance in ground-based skidding operations

Reinforcement of skid trails with slash has been shown to reduce soil disturbances, but there have not been any studies documenting the mitigating effects following traffic of harvest equipment traffic on steep mountainous skid trails. The objective of this study was to quantify potentially mitigating effects of slash cover on soil compaction and rutting on skid trails in mountainous hardwood forests. The effects of the placement of no slash (bare soil), light density slash (7.5 kg m^?2) and heavy density slash (17.5 kg m^?2) in a skid trail following one, five, and nine machine passes on both gentle slopes <20% and steep slopes >20% in a downhill skidding operation by a steel-tracked skidder were studied. Bulk density and rut depth increased following harvest equipment traffic on both slope gradients. Compared to bare soils, soil bulk density was not significantly reduced by light slash density; however, soil bulk density was significantly reduced by heavy slash up to five machine passes on steep slopes. Light and heavy slash significantly reduced rut depth in both slope classes. The study revealed a high protective role of slash, particularly on steep skid trails. However, benefits of slash to mitigate soil compaction were limited to five passes, after which the slash deteriorated and only provided benefits against rutting.     

Factors affecting soil-based natural regeneration of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Abies sachalinensis</Emphasis> following timber harvesting in a sub-boreal forest in Japan

Natural regeneration of Abies sachalinensis on soil was studied in a natural sub-boreal forest managed by single tree selection cutting located within the Hokkaido Tokyo University Forest. First, seedlings of A. sachalinensis on skid trails, soil mounds, soil pits, and undisturbed soil were counted, and their areas were measured. Most seedlings were found on skid trails. Seedling densities of A. sachalinensis on sites with soil disturbance, with the exception of soil pits, were significantly greater than that on undisturbed soil. Second, densities of Sasa senanensis, heights of S. senanensis, and seedling densities of A. sachalinensis on skid trails and undisturbed soil in both a closed-canopy stand and in a canopy gap were compared. Seedling density of A. sachalinensis on skid trails in the closed-canopy stand was significantly greater than that in the canopy gap. Average density and average height of S. senanensis, which is known to interfere with regeneration of many woody species, were significantly greater on skid trails and undisturbed soil in the canopy gap than those in the closed-canopy stand. It could be concluded from this study that both crown closure and soil disturbance are essential for natural regeneration of A. sachalinensis on soil in sub-boreal forests.     

Soil disturbance and post-logging forest recovery on bulldozer paths in Sabah, Malaysia

We examined the extent of soil disturbance associated with bulldozer yarding and the regrowth of woody vegetation on bulldozer paths (skid trails) in selectively logged dipterocarp forest. In an area logged in 1993, using conventional, i.e., uncontrolled, harvesting methods, about 17% of the area was covered by roads and skid trails. In contrast, in a 450-ha experimental area where reduced-impact logging guidelines were implemented, 6% of the area was similarly disturbed. Skid trails in the reduced-impact logging areas were less severely disturbed than those in conventional logging areas; the proportion of skid trails with subsoil disturbance was less than half that in conventional logging areas. Four years after logging, woody plant recovery on skid trails was greater in areas logged by reduced-impact than by conventional methods. Skid trails where topsoil had been bladed off had less woody vegetation than skid trails with intact topsoil. In a chronosequence of logging areas (3, 6, and 18 years after logging), species richness and stem densities of woody plants (>1 m tall, <5 cm dbh) were lower on skid trail tracks than on skid trail edges or in adjacent forest. Both richness and density increased with time since logging, but even 18 years after logging, abandoned skid trails were impoverished in small woody stems compared with adjacent forest. Minimizing soil and stand disturbance during logging appears to allow a more rapid recovery of vegetation on bulldozed soils, but the long-term fate of trees growing on compacted soils remains uncertain.     

Soil physical properties degrade further on skid trails in the year following operations

Short-term recovery of soil physical properties on skid trails was investigated upon cessation of skidding operations and 1 year later. Bulk density and porosity were assessed at three levels of traffic intensity and two slope gradients. Compared to undisturbed areas, bulk density increased, total porosity and macroporosity decreased, and microporosity increased in the compacted areas immediately after skidding. In all cases, changes were significantly greater when traffic intensity was higher and when slopes were steeper. Surface soil compaction did not show any recovery over the 1-year period, illustrating the persistent effects of compaction on soil structure. In fact, surficial compaction further increased and macroporosity further decreased after 1 year of recovery, compared to immediately after skidding. While these changes may reflect inherent small-scale site variability or differences in soil moisture content at times of sampling, direct negative physical impacts on newly exposed soil (such as by raindrops), in addition to the loss of organic matter after canopy removal and skidding, likely delayed any physical recovery, particularly on heavily trafficked trails on steeper slopes. These results raise serious concerns about long-term resilience to traffic on forest soils and indicate the necessity to properly retire skid trails to avoid further soil degradation as trails age.     

Influence of skidder traffic and canopy removal intensities on the ground flora in a clearcut-with-reserves northern hardwood stand in Minnesota,USA

We investigated the effects of skidder traffic intensity, soil disturbance intensity, and canopy removal intensity on the richness, diversity, composition, and cover of the entire ground flora (woody and herbaceous vegetation ≤2 m tall), various individual life forms, invasive/noxious species, and species with different requirements with respect to moisture, nutrients, heat, and light (synecological coordinates) in a mesic northern hardwood stand 6 years after a clearcut-with-reserves regeneration harvest removed 50–100% of the canopy. Skidder traffic was restricted to a network of trails and a global positioning system (GPS) tracked skidder movement to quantify the number of passes at pre-established sampling points along the anticipated soil disturbance gradient on and off skid trails. Soil disturbance intensity within the top 15 cm of soil was quantified by relativized resistance to penetration (RRP) compared to untrafficked plots; post-harvest increases in RRP ranged from 81 to 272%. Regression analysis and ordination revealed a pattern of increasing difference from pre-disturbance composition with increasing skidder traffic (i.e., forest floor disturbance), with increased RRP (i.e., soil compaction) and (less so) canopy removal intensity. The ground flora shifted from interior forest species such as Anemone quiquefolia, Aralia nudicaulis, Clintonia borealis, Maianthemum canadense, and Oryzopsis asperifolia to more ruderal, invasive/noxious, and disturbed-forest species such as Aster lateriflorus, Cirsium spp., Phleum pretense, Rubus idaeus, and Trifolium spp. The relative resistance of the initial ground flora to change (inverse of the distances between pre- and post-harvest samples in ordination space) was nonlinearly related to skidder traffic intensity and linearly related to RRP, indicating that the largest compositional changes occurred with the first few passes of the skidder. Mean plot scores for the synecological coordinates revealed that the post-harvest species were on average less demanding of water and nutrients; the opposite was true for light. Plots exposed to less skidder traffic and RRP had higher herb cover and higher nutrient scores; those with more skidder traffic and higher RRP levels had higher shrub cover and higher light scores. We conclude that protection of the ground flora from forest floor and soil disturbance requires careful planning of skid trail networks. Concentrating skidder traffic to a designated skid trail system can result in less area disturbed and spatially connected networks of larger, untrafficked remnant forest patches that may maintain species that are sensitive to forest floor and soil disturbance.     

机械运输对伊朗北部山林陡峭集材道土壤的干扰

A study was conducted to investigate the effects of skid trail slope and traffic levels on soil disturbances at two soil depths (0–10 and 10–20 cm). The treatments were set at four traffic levels (2, 7, 12 and 20), two slope classes (<20% and >20%) and two soil depths (0–10 and 10–20 cm). Results show that skidder traffic, longitudinal slope and soil depth have significant effect on soil bulk density in skid trail. Comparison of average soil bulk density in different traffic levels shows that there are significant differences in average bulk density between different traffic levels and control (p<0.05). The average bulk densities in different slopes and soil depths are significantly increased with increase in traffic levels, maximized at 12 passes (p<0.05), but there are no significant differences between 12 and 20 passes. The interaction effects between traffic and soil depth are significant (F _0.05,3=0.109, p<0.001). For all traffic treatments, there are significant differences in soil moisture content between the two slope classes and the two depths (p<0.001). However, the interaction effects between traffic levels and slope classes are not significant (p >0.05), although skidder traffic and slope affected soil moisture content.     

Traditional mule logging method in Hyrcanian Forest: a study of the impact on forest stand and soil

We inventoried plant regeneration and soil compaction along mule trails to evaluate damage to forest stands and regeneration follow-ing mule hauling before and after operations in Kheyrud Forest in the...     

Spatial impacts of soil disturbance and residual overstory on density and growth of regenerating aspen

We examined spatial aspects of harvesting impacts on aspen regeneration at 25 sites in northern Minnesota. These sites had been clearcut or partially harvested 4–11 years ago. At each site, residual overstory, which was composed of trees other than aspen, soil disturbance, and tree regeneration were determined along transects leading away from skid trails into the neighboring stand. We characterized spatial extent of soil disturbance as soil strength using an Eijkelkamp soil cone penetrometer. Soil disturbance dropped off very quickly at the edge of skid trails, suggesting that the impact of harvesting traffic on areas adjacent to skid trails is minor. On skid trails, disturbance levels were higher on sites harvested in summer than on sites harvested in winter. Even after adjustment for differences in soil disturbance, stands harvested in winter had higher regeneration densities and greater aspen height growth than stands harvested in summer, suggesting that aspen regeneration was more sensitive to a given level of soil disturbance on summer-harvested sites versus on winter-harvested sites. Soil disturbance and residual overstory interactively reduced aspen regeneration densities and height growth, indicating that avoidance of soil disturbance is even more critical in partially harvested stands. Predictions based in the spatial patterns of impact found in this study indicated that harvesting conditions may have a great impact in future productivity of a site.     

Growth response of three native timber species to soils with different arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculum potentials in South Cameroon: Indigenous inoculum and effect of addition of grass inoculum

After tropical forest disturbance, mycorrhizal inoculum could be insufficient. Increasing mycorrhizal density through inoculum addition is then crucial for successful regeneration of deforested lands. Greenhouse bioassays were set up to determine the effectiveness of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in soils from different disturbance stages on the growth of three important timber species, Terminalia superba, Distemonanthus benthamianus, and Entandrophragma utile. Soils were collected from late and early successional forest stands, fields of food crops, fallow of Chromolaena odorata, skid trails, bare soil landings, and landings with the pioneer tree Musanga cecropioides. These soils were used to grow seedlings without or with addition of an inoculum collected under the grass Paspalum conjugatum. The extent to which seedlings responded to indigenous inoculum and inoculum addition varied with tree species and with mycorrhizal inoculum potential. After inoculum addition, Terminalia strongly increased root colonization with a small increase in shoot dry weight and Distemonanthus hardly increased root colonization but showed a strong increase in shoot dry weight. Entandrophragma increased both root colonization and shoot dry weight. Plant biomass was lower in soils with low inoculum potential such as late successional stands, skid trails, and both kinds of landings; the mycorrhizal inoculation effect was then large. Plant biomass was high in agricultural fields and fallow; mycorrhizal inoculation effect was sometimes even negative. These data indicate that low inoculum might limit plant re-establishment after disturbance and that mycorrhizal inoculation has a potential for improving seedling establishment on deforested land.     

Factors affecting runoff and soil erosion: plot-level soil loss monitoring for assessing sustainability of forest management

The assessment on key ecological factors affecting runoff and soil erosion and the usefulness of plot-level monitoring of soil erosion was conducted by collecting runoff and soil loss records from 14 runoff plots. The runoff plots were set up in two catchments in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, where conventional logging and Reduced Impact Logging (RIL) took place. Runoff plots were set up in forest areas with different levels of logging disturbances, i.e. harvesting areas (four plots), skid trails (six plots), and undisturbed/control areas (four plots). The magnitude of runoff and soil loss from skid trail plots were found to be the highest, followed by control plots and harvest plots. Canopy cover, sapling density, litter depth and woody debris appeared to be important ecological factors that determine the magnitude of soil loss. Tree canopy determines the size and erosive power of the raindrops. Sapling, litter layer, and woody debris protected soil surface, thus preventing soil detachment, and provided surface roughness that minimised soil particle movement down the slope. The roles of these ecological factors were less significant compared to rainfall in determining the magnitude of runoff.

Canopy cover, sapling density, litter depth and woody debris can be measured quantitatively or qualitatively without complicated equipment and methods. Furthermore, they are sensitive to logging disturbance which make them suitable verifiers of soil erosion. Forest managers need to limit disturbance to these factors in order to minimise soil erosion in their logging operation areas. Monitoring of soil loss using runoff plots was cost-effective and provided valuable information about soil erosion risks caused by logging operations. Runoff plots clearly demonstrated site disturbances where the plots are located. Monitoring allowed more direct linkages to be made between management practices and their impacts on runoff and soil erosion, thereby enabling forest managers to identify problems and take appropriate preventive measures to improve their management practices.     

Effects of wheeled cable skidder on rut formation in skid trail — a case study in Hyrcanian forest

The impact of skidding operations on forest soils can be divided into three major categories: soil profile disturbance, soil compaction, and soil puddling and rutting. The present study was designed as a factorial experiment in the Kheyrud Forest with a Timberjack cable skidder to evaluate the influences of number of machine passes and soil moisture of skid trails on rutting over a fine-grained soil, and to quantify these effects. The effects of soil moisture of 20% 30%, 30% 40% and 40% 50% and different levels of compaction were studied. Compaction treatments were applied using different numbers of skidding passes (1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 times). Result shows that an increase in the number of machine passes could increase rut depth, but the majority of rutting was occurred after the initial few machine passes. Also rut depth at soil moisture of 40% 50% was higher than rut depths at soil moisture of 30% 40% and 20% 30%. The average rut depth in soil with 20% 30%, 30% 40% and 40% 50% moisture was 17, 22 and 35 cm, respectively. Rut depths were increased significantly with soil moisture and number of machine passes. It is suggested that skidding operations should be planned when soil conditions are dry in order to minimize rutting., but if skidding must be done under wet conditions, the operations should be stopped when machine traffic could create deep ruts.     

Effects of overstorey canopy, plant-plant interactions and soil properties on Mediterranean maritime pine seedling dynamics

Seedling emergence, survival and early growth of the Mediterranean conifer P. pinaster were studied under closed canopy and open canopy (gaps) cover conditions in a Mediterranean forest of central Spain during two consecutive years (March 2008 to January 2010). Our main objective was to understand how overstorey structure, shrubs and soil properties influence recruitment in this species. Natural emergence and seedling survival were significantly better under closed canopy cover than under open canopy during the two consecutive years of the study; survival increased as radiation decreased. Proximity to shrubs under closed canopy cover was associated with lower mortality rates as well as a positive and apparently transitive effect on early growth. Amelioration of microclimatic conditions is hypothesized as the primary facilitation agent of those observed. Younger seedlings established during the spring of 2008 experienced higher mortality rates than older seedlings established before 2008, and soil properties affected seedling survival significantly. Water stress during summer appeared to be the main cause of seedling mortality in both years. Our study suggests that seedlings of shade-intolerant species may require overstorey cover to establish successfully, and that positive plant-plant interactions in forest communities may be more important than expected in the milder conditions provided by overstorey canopy cover.     

Individual-level analysis of damage to residual trees after single-tree selection harvesting in northern Japanese mixedwood stands

Quantifying tree damage and mortality caused by single-tree selection harvesting is critical to understanding postharvest forest dynamics and management. In this study, we quantified the effects of tree size and species and the distance from residual trees to felled trees and skid trails on damage to residual trees and mortality in mixed coniferous–broadleaved stands of Hokkaido, northern Japan. Among the 4,961 trees that we studied, 373 (7.5 %) were damaged, and 148 of these trees (3.0 %) died during or immediately after logging. Hierarchical Bayesian modeling showed that the risk of damage to residual trees increased with increasing size of the felled trees and with increasing proximity to felled trees and skid trails. Smaller residual trees had the greatest risk of damage. Species differed in their susceptibility to damage; Abies sachalinensis (Fr. Schm.) Masters and Picea jezoensis (Sieb. et Zucc.) Carr. were the most susceptible species in our sample plots. Smaller damaged trees had the highest risk of mortality. The damaged trees that did not die at the time of logging had a higher risk of postharvest mortality than undamaged trees. Our results indicate that, to minimize logging-induced damage and mortality: (1) the spatial arrangement of skid trails should be optimized and fixed, (2) the risk of skidding damage should be considered before marking the trees to be harvested and choosing the felling direction, and (3) logging operators should be instructed to avoid damaging small trees, especially those of the species that are most susceptible to damage.     

Environmental influences on the successful regeneration of pine-oak mixed forests in the Qinling Mountains,China

Understanding the factors that allow the successful regeneration of species is a key step toward the conservation and management of forests. In this study, canonical correspondence analysis was used to examine the relationships between the distribution of the regenerating species in pine-oak mixed forests and 18 environmental factors of topography, soil properties, and forest characteristics in seedlings and saplings in the Qinling Mountains in China. A generalized additive model was used to fit the response of the density of the regenerating species to the various environmental factors. Variation partitioning in both seedling and sapling stories indicated that the order of importance was soil properties?>?forest characteristics?>?topography. The distribution of seedlings and saplings was mainly influenced by slope gradient, shrub cover, and available phosphorus. Herb cover and total nitrogen level were major environmental factors affecting the density of the regenerating seedlings, but total potassium level and elevation were significant variables for saplings. Not all seedlings were able to establish successfully, perhaps due to stress from the external environment and the heterogeneity of the light availability in the understory as the forest developed. Appropriate thinning of stands with higher densities and closed canopies is expected to produce gaps and promote the natural regeneration of pine-oak mixed forests in the Qinling Mountains.     

Season and substrate effects on the first-year establishment of current-year seedlings of major conifer species in an old-growth subalpine forest in central Japan

Seasonal and substrate effects on first-year seedling establishment of major conifer species (Abies mariesii, Abies veitchii, Picea jezoensis var. hondoensis, and Tsuga diversifolia) were assessed in an old-growth subalpine forest in central Japan. Older seedlings (≥1 year) were more abundant on woody debris (WD), such as fallen logs, than on soil. It is known that this preferential seedling establishment on WD is determined by the first-year seedling establishment. The present results indicate that first-summer seedling survivorship clearly contributes to the creation of such seedling–substrate associations, because mortality during the first-summer was greater on soil than WD but that during the first-autumn/winter was not different. Although the standardized mortality rate of current-year seedlings on WD was not so different among the three seasons, that on soil significantly decreased in the winter; indicating that soil is not an unsuitable substrate for seedling survivorship during snow-covered winter. Thus, it can be concluded that biotic and abiotic factors enhancing seedling mortality on soil are most active during summer, and seedling–substrate associations seem to be determined mainly during the first-summer soon after seedling emergence. Furthermore, the first-year survivorship of P. jezoensis var. hondoensis, which has smaller-sized seeds/seedlings that are disadvantageous for early survival, decreased with progressing WD decay toward soil. This suggests that the properties of WD also affect current-year seedling survivorship, especially for species sensitive to substrate properties. In conclusion, initial survivorship affects seedling bank dynamics, and such early dynamics are greatly regulated by the highly heterogeneous substrate availability on forest floors.     

采伐作业对长白山阔叶红松林林下植被影响的研究(英文)

森林采伐是森林经营中的一个关键环节。采伐对树木天然更新的影响直接关系到森林的结构、组成及森林的可持续经营。本文以长白山阔叶红松林为研究对象,对择伐5 年后不同作业迹地(集材道、楞场和采伐后林窗)的幼苗更新及灌木、草本的多样性进行研究,并以没有进行采伐干扰的林地作为对照。共设计样地23 块,在各个小样地内调查幼树的种类、树木、高度;灌木和草本植物的种类、树木、高度和盖度,应用SPSS 软件进行一元方差分析。结果表明,择伐作业影响幼苗的更新,灌木和草本的多样性在作业迹地增加,尤其在林隙处的多样性最高。适当采伐能促进幼苗的更新,特别是阔叶树种的更新。集材道对幼苗密度的影响比对幼苗高度的影响大,幼苗密度在集材道上密度最高;采伐作业对针叶树种有严重的影响,在三种作业迹地上针叶树种的密度都比对照低。为了维持森林的结构和组成,在森林收获和楞场的建立时,必须采取科学措施保护针叶树种。此外,采伐林窗和楞场的面积都应该减小。为了确保采伐迹地建群树种的更新,经营中应该在保护生物多样性的前提下,适当控制过于旺盛的灌木和草本层的生长。本研究结果将为采伐后作业迹地的恢复和森林的可持续经营提供科学的依据。图1 表4 参14。     

Operational impacts to residual stands following ground-based skidding in Hyrcanian Forest, northern Iran

Hyrcanian (Caspian) Forest in northern Iran has a richness of biological diversity, with endemic and endangered species. The usage of ground-based skidding is well accepted practice for the extraction of timber from the forest, but this operation has tended to cause the greatest environmental problems. The aims of the study were to evaluate and comparison of operational impacts, residual stand damage, regeneration, and to quantify these effects such as: the extent of the damage, wounding patterns, size and distribution after logging operations that utilized two different methods: short-log and long-log. A Timberjack cable skidder was used and the study location was in the Kheyrud Forest. Post harvesting assessment of damage to the residual stand was compared along skid trail by 100% inventory method and also for the assessment of regeneration damage along winching strips. The results show that along winching strips the percentage of damage to the regeneration was 44% and 36%, while the tree damages along skid trails reached 2.3% and 4.1% in the short-log and long-log methods, respectively. The greatest average amount of damage to a bole occurred along the first 1 m up from the ground (97%) and also within 4 m of the skidder centerline (80%). These results show that the short-log method causes less damage to the residual stand than the long-log method. Tree location to skidder trail appears to have a significant effect on the number and height of scars on a tree. Well designed and constructed trails should be wide enough to allow wood extraction from the forest. Damage to the residual stand might be reduced by proper planning and training of logging crews.     

Regeneration of commercial tree species in a logged forest in the Selva Maya, Mexico

One of the main threats to the sustainability of community forestry in the Selva Maya is insufficient regeneration of commercial tree species. We evaluated the regeneration status of 22 commercial tree species in a managed semideciduous tropical rain forest in Southern Mexico. The study was carried out in six harvesting areas along a 16-year chronosequence. In each area, 10 transects (1000 m²) were established and all trees >50 cm height and <10 cm diameter were recorded. We evaluated the relationships between seedling and sapling abundance, and canopy cover and disturbance condition (closed forest, canopy gap, log landing, skid road, primary road and secondary road). The area occupied by closed forest canopy increased with age of harvesting area (65–91% of sampled area), while the area occupied by canopy gaps decreased (22–9%). Log landings occupied less than 1% of the sampled area. The predominant canopy cover was 75–80% in all harvesting areas, even in the most recently harvested areas. The highest densities of seedlings and saplings, of both shade tolerant and intolerant species, were found in log landing and skid trails, followed by secondary roads. Even Simarouba glauca, a shade tolerant species, displayed higher densities in sites with ≤65% of canopy cover. Our results support previous findings and indicate that the levels of disturbance caused by existing harvesting procedures may be inadequate to promote sufficient regeneration of not only light demanding desirable species but also for some of the evaluated shade tolerant species of commercial interest. Seedling and sapling densities exhibited by Swietenia macrophylla, for example, are insufficient to support current harvesting rates. The application of a spatial mixed system with patch-cuts of different sizes, a consequence of group felling, could be applied to provide the necessary conditions for the regeneration of the main commercial species.     

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) growth is influenced by close conspecifics and skid trail proximity following selection harvest

In this study, we quantified the effects of local neighbourhood competition, light availability, and proximity to skid trails on the growth of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) trees following selection harvest. We hypothesized that growth would increase with decreasing competition and increasing light availability, but that proximity to skid trails would negatively affect growth. A total of 300 sugar maples were sampled ∼10 years after selection harvesting in 18 stands in Témiscamingue (Québec, Canada). Detailed tree and skid trail maps were obtained in one 0.4 ha plot per stand. Square-root transformed radial growth data were fitted to a linear mixed model that included tree diameter, crown position, a neighbourhood competition index, light availability (estimated using the SORTIE light model), and distance to the nearest skid trail as explanatory variables. We considered various distance-dependent or -independent indices based on neighbourhood radii ranging from 6 to 12 m. The competition index that provided the best fit to the data was a distance-dependent index computed in a 6 m search radius, but a distance-independent version of the competition index provided an almost equivalent fit to data. Models corresponding to all combinations of main effects were fit to data using maximum likelihood, and weighted averages of parameter estimates were obtained using multimodel inference. All predictors had an influence on growth, with the exception of light. Radial growth decreased with increasing tree diameter, level of competition and proximity to skid trails, and varied among crown positions with trees in suppressed and intermediate positions having lower growth rates than codominants and dominants. Our results indicate that in selection managed stands, the radial growth of sugar maple trees depends on competition from close (≤6 m) conspecific neighbours, and is still affected by proximity to skid trails ∼10 years after harvesting. Such results underscore the importance of minimizing the extent of skid trail networks by careful pre-harvest planning of trail layout. We also conclude that the impact of heterogeneity among individual-tree neighbourhoods, such as those resulting from alternative spatial patterns of harvest, can usefully be integrated into models of post-harvest tree growth.