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Enhancing Overland Flow Infiltration through Sustainable Well-Managed Thinning: Contour-Aligned Felled Log Placement in a Chamaecyparis obtusa Plantation

Author

Listed:
  • Moein Farahnak

    (Ecohydrology Research Institute, Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Aichi 489-0031, Japan)

  • Nobuaki Tanaka

    (Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo Hokkaido Forest, Furano 079-1563, Japan)

  • Takanori Sato

    (Faculty of Regional Environment Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan)

  • Anand Nainar

    (Faculty of Tropical Forestry, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88-400, Malaysia)

  • Mie Gomyo

    (Ecohydrology Research Institute, Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Aichi 489-0031, Japan)

  • Koichiro Kuraji

    (Executive Office, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan)

  • Toko Suzaki

    (Toyota Yahagi River Institute, Aichi 471-0025, Japan)

  • Haruhiko Suzuki

    (Industrial Affairs Department, Forestry Division, Toyota City 444-2424, Japan)

  • Yoshimasa Nakane

    (Industrial Affairs Department, Forestry Division, Toyota City 444-2424, Japan)

Abstract

Contour felling is a restoration method used to decrease overland flow (OF) and soil erosion in the world. However, the impact of thinning and the placement of felled logs on OF remains inconclusive. Low ground cover and soil permeability promote OF in Chamaecyparis obtusa (Siebold et Zucc.) Endl plantations, making thinning a method for reducing runoff. We examined the relationship between OF and ground cover in a C. obtusa plantation in Japan. Event-based runoff was monitored in three plots from 2016 to 2021, with 40% thinning conducted in 2019. In plot T1, logs were randomly scattered, and, in T2, logs followed contour lines, while control plots stayed the same. After thinning, both treatment plots showed lower OF than the control plot. The ANCOVA test shows a significant slope reduction in treatment plots compared to the control plot from pre-thinning to post-thinning (T1: 0.67 to 0.26, T2: 0.66 to 0.12, p < 0.001, Tukey HSD test). However, in plot T2, OF remained stable for two years post-thinning, affirming the enduring effectiveness of contour-aligned log placement. This study backs the notion that aligning fallen logs with contour lines boosts long-term OF infiltration, supporting sustainable forest and soil management.

Suggested Citation

  • Moein Farahnak & Nobuaki Tanaka & Takanori Sato & Anand Nainar & Mie Gomyo & Koichiro Kuraji & Toko Suzaki & Haruhiko Suzuki & Yoshimasa Nakane, 2023. "Enhancing Overland Flow Infiltration through Sustainable Well-Managed Thinning: Contour-Aligned Felled Log Placement in a Chamaecyparis obtusa Plantation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-12, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:19:p:14124-:d:1246553
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