• Introduction
• Assessing Trees
• Assessing Soils
• Soil Surface Amendments
• Contour Felling
• Salvage Logging
• Pros and Cons to Salvage Logging
• Pros and Cons in Perspective
• What to do to help trees
• Sources and Credits
• Interactive Exercises

Tree and Forest Restoration - Soil surface amendments

The black surface left by a fire absorbs almost all of the sun’s energy, resulting in high soil temperatures, which can cause the soil to dry out more rapidly than normal. Both the increased temperature and dry soil conditions can harm the root systems of surviving trees. (An exception to this may be quaking aspen and cottonwood - warmer soil temperatures can stimulate root suckering if the mature trees have been killed).

Since vigorous roots are required for a tree to recover from needle or leaf scorch, it is important to protect them. Soil temperatures can be kept cool by mulching lightly with straw around the bases of trees. The mulch should extend out from the tree stem 1-1/2 times as far as the longest branches. Straw mulch absorbs much less of the suns energy and keeps the soil cool and moist. Often, breaking up the black surface left by fire will also reduce excessive soil surface temperatures.

Applying grass seed

Applying grass seed to undisturbed burned soil surfaces often results in poor grass seedling survival. Black surfaces warm to lethal temperatures for grass seed when exposed to the sun and often do not retain enough moisture for good seed germination.