Use vegetation removal together with mechanical disturbance to the soil

Overall effectiveness category Likely to be beneficial
Number of studies: 3
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

61%
Certainty

40%
Harms

15%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Soil disturbance is often used to improve degraded soils, mainly before restoration planting. In many cases it is applied after clear cutting the existing vegetation. This sequence of actions has mixed effects on different plant groups and may have a significant effect on biodiversity and structure of forests.

Other studies on the effects of soil disturbance are discussed in ‘Use soil scarification or ploughing to enhance germination’ and in ‘Use soil disturbance to enhance germination (excluding scarification or ploughing)’.

Study locations

Key messages

Two studies (including one replicated, randomized, controlled study) in Portugal and France found that vegetation removal together with mechanical disturbance of the soil increased the cover and diversity of understory plants. One of the studies found it also decreased understory shrub cover.
One replicated, randomized, controlled study in France found that vegetation removal together with mechanical disturbance of the soil increasedthe density of young trees.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A replicated, randomized, controlled study in 2004-2008 in Mediterranean Aleppo pine Pinus halepensis woodland in France (1) found that mechanical cutting of ground vegetation along with mechanical soil disturbance (scarification) increased Aleppo pine seedling density. Density (seedlings/m²) in plots with vegetation debris was higher in plots with one (2.8) or double scarification (1.2) than control plots (<0.1). Density in plots with no vegetation debris was highest in double scarification plots (2.8) and higher in one scarification (1.0) than control plots (0.1). Data were collected in January 2008 in 24 plots (14×14 m). There were four replicates of control, one scarification (vegetation cut, litter layer and top soil mechanically scratched in one direction) and double scarification (litter layer and top soil mechanically scratched in two directions) debris plots (vegetation debris scattered in the plot), and 12 plots with the same treatments but with vegetation debris removed. All plots were thinned in 2004 (from 410 to 210 trees/ha). Treatments were applied in 2005.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Prévosto B. & Ripert C. (2008) Regeneration of Pinus halepensis stands after partial cutting in southern France: Impacts of different ground vegetation, soil and logging slash treatments. Forest Ecology and Management, 256, 2058-2064.
A replicated, controlled study in 1998-2007 in Mediterranean oak woodland in Portugal (2) found that cutting shrubs followed by vegetation removal and ploughing increased plant cover nine years after treatment. Total plant cover was higher in ploughed (87%) than control plots (82%). In June 1998, ploughing and no treatment (control) were each applied to three plots (50 × 14 m). Total plant cover was measured in 2007 in five subplots (2 × 2 m) in each treatment plot.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Canteiro C., Pinto-Cruz C., Simões M.P. & Gazarini L. (2011) Conservation of Mediterranean oak woodlands: understorey dynamics under different shrub management. Agroforestry Systems, 82, 161-171.
A replicated, randomized, controlled study in 2005 in Mediterranean Aleppo pine Pinus halepensis woodland in France (3) found that mechanical cutting of ground vegetation together with mechanical soil disturbance (scarification) increased total plant species richness and herbaceous plant cover, decreased shrub cover, but had no effect on total plant diversity. Herbaceous cover was higher in double scarification than control plots (control: 24; one scarification: 31; double scarification: 34%). Shrub cover was the highest in control and higher in one scarification than in double scarification plots (control: 40; one scarification: 29; double scarification: 20%). Number of species was higher in one and double scarification than control plots (control: 27; one scarification: 35; double scarification: 37species/plot), while diversity was similar between treatments (Shannon's index control: 3.2; one scarification: 3.5; double scarification: 3.6). Data were collected in 2009 in eight replicates of each treatment: control, one scarification (vegetation cut, litter layer and top soil mechanically scratched in one direction) and double scarification (litter layer and top soil mechanically scratched in two directions) plots (14 × 14 m). All plots were thinned in 2004 (from 410 to 210 trees/ha). Treatments were applied in 2005.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Prévosto B., Bousquet-Mélou A., Ripert C. & Fernández C. (2011) Effects of different site preparation treatments on species diversity, composition, and plant traits in Pinus halepensis woodlands. Plant Ecology (formerly Vegetatio 1948-1996), 212, 627-638.

Please cite as:

Agra, H., Schowanek, S., Carmel, Y., Smith, R.K. & Ne’eman, G. (2020) Forest Conservation. Pages 323-366 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Forest Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Use vegetation removal together with mechanical disturbance to the soil Action Link	Likely to be beneficial	3	Synopsis Link
Add lime to the soil to increase fertility Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link
Use soil disturbance to enhance germination (excluding scarification or ploughing) Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	2	Synopsis Link