The effect of organic mulches on the sediment reduction of the skid trails in the Kheyrud forest, Iran

The role of forest engineering is crucial for restoring and reclaiming of skid trails, one of these being to reduce sediment yields along the trails. This study aimed to measure sediment yield in the skid trails covered by different organic mulches and to compare it with an untreated trail and control plot (i.e., undisturbed forest). This research was conducted for 13 months (from September 2017 to October 2018) in the Namkhaneh district, Kheiroud forest, Nowshahr under the natural rainfall condition. Six-square-meter plots were used in three replications to determine the amount of sediment. Three natural mulch treatments were used in this study, including sawdust, leaf litter, and straw, and there were mulched at three different rates (based on material weight). The highest and lowest amount of sediment was obtained in the untreated skid trail and undisturbed forest, respectively. Our results demonstrated that the application of sawdust, straw, and leaf litter mulches reduced the sediment yield by 13.1, 10.2, and 7.3 times compared to the untreated trail, respectively. Overall, it can be concluded that the application of mulches, especially sawdust, has a significant impact on sediment reduction.