EFFECTS OF FOREST MANAGEMENT ON SURFACE-WATER QUALITY IN WETLAND FORESTS

A literature review on the effects of silvicultural practices on water quality in wetland forests was conducted. The review summarized results from nine wetland forests in five states (AL, FL, MI, NC, and SC). Silvicultural practices assessed were timber harvesting (including thinning and clearcutting), site preparation, bedding, planting, drainage, and fertilization. Many of the studies reviewed observed increased concentrations of suspended sediment and nutrients following silvicultural operations when compared with undisturbed controls. Water quality criteria were rarely exceeded by silvicultural operations, however, and effects on water quality were transient. Water quality parameters returned to undisturbed levels within, a period ranging from months to several years.