ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the effects of timber harvesting, site preparation, and associated activities on forested peatland ecosystems in North America. In North America, because of both economic considerations and more recent environmental concerns, peatland drainage has rarely been practiced. Forest management on peatlands in eastern North America is nearly synonymous with management of black spruce (Picea mariana). Forest management in Ontario similarly involves clearcutting, often followed by site preparation, regeneration practices, and sometimes tending practices. The effects of forest management activities on soils are discussed with respect to biogeochemical and physical properties. The physical properties of soils are largely affected by the methods used to extract forest products, including road construction, skid trails, and logging decks. Forest harvest can also affect the physical properties of peatland soils. Soil compaction and rutting can reduce infiltration, redirect flow, and alter pathways by which water moves through and from a peatland, thus affecting the character of the peatland itself.
