Download Soils

Thursday, May 14, 2015
Issue Paper: Soils
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Introduction:
Soil quality is the capacity of a specific
kind of soil to function, within natural or
managed ecosystem boundaries, to
sustain plant and animal productivity,
maintain or enhance water and air
quality, and support ecosystem health.
Management practices can reduce soil
quality through declines in two
ecosystem properties: site organic
matter and soil porosity.
In this analysis, the BLM evaluated
reductions in soil quality based on acres
of detrimental soil disturbance. The
BLM evaluated the acres of detrimental
soil disturbance from several sources of
management-induced changes, and the cumulative total of all sources, as a decrease in the innate
ability of a soil to function and provide ecosystem services. Detrimental soil disturbance is the limit
where the innate soil properties change and the inherent capacity to sustain growth of vegetation is
reduced. Detrimental soil disturbance generally represents unacceptable levels of erosion, loss of
organic matter, soil compaction, soil displacement, or some combination.
Key Points:
•
•
•
The alternatives would increase the acreage of detrimental soil disturbance from timber
harvest, road construction, and fuels treatments by 13 to 30 percent of current amounts
during the first decade.
Detrimental soil disturbance from OHV use would be highest under the No Action alternative
and lower under all action alternatives, because none of the action alternatives would
allocate any areas as open for OHV use.
The BLM would be able to reduce the acreage of detrimental soil conditions from timber
harvest, road construction, and fuels treatments through sound management practices that
would limit initial compaction levels, remove existing or created compacted surfaces, and
improve soil water and organic matter levels.
The Resource Management Plans (RMP) for Western Oregon will determine how the BLM-administered lands in western
Oregon will be managed to further the recovery of threatened and endangered species, to provide for clean water, to
restore fire-adapted ecosystems, to produce a sustained yield of timber products, to coordinate management of lands
surrounding the Coquille Forest with the Coquille Tribe, and to provide for recreation opportunities.
For more information, please visit the BLM’s Resource Management Plans of western Oregon website
at http://www.blm.gov/or/plans/rmpswesternoregon/index.php.