How would clear cutting a forest affect the soil?

Answer: It depends on many factors: soil type, climate, initial soil chemical conditions, residue left behind, aspect, slope, etc. When the soil is more exposed to climate through the removal of the forest canopy, many things change. However, these changes may only be short lived. The soil will see an increase in sunlight and as a result will experience increased heating. This heating will likely exacerbate organic matter decomposition through increased oxidation. The soil will also experience more precipitation and subsequent water movement through the profile. Will the major water "pumps" gone (trees can transfer large volumes of water from the soil to the atmosphere through transpiration) the soil will retain more. This movement has the potential to transport some nutrients to lower reaches of the soil profile. The water movement will also serve to weather the soil particles and over time (thousands of years) the soil will change in texture and nutrient loading. The soil will feel less of a demand on nutrients, initially. With the major vegetation gone nutrients stored in the soil will likely be more plentiful for the next vegetative occupants.

There is a potential for increased sedimentation depending on the texture, slope, and soil cover. The trees deflect a tremendous amount of energy from rainfall. This energy now has the potential to move exposed soil. If there is enough slope, the dislodged soil may move. Loss of the upper portions of the soil are most damaging to productivity as this is where most nutrients are found. Another potential hazard or erosion is the movement of soil to water bodies which may bury benthic species, retard spawning habitat, and decrease storage capacity of

lakes, dams, reservoirs.

All in all, the effect of the soil from forest clear cutting depends on a variety of attributes. Some may be beneficial and some may be detrimental.
What does clearcut mean?... To remove all of the trees in (a tract of timber) at one time.
v.intr. To log an area by removing all of the trees at one time. n. A tract of timberland that has been clear-cut.

Water quality and quantity effects from clearcutting (la sfarsit) o Increased sedimentation, nutrient loading o Increased stream temperature o Injury to fish, amphibian and other wildlife population o Water yield changes: o Increased high flows from storms and spring run-off o Decreased low flows in summer, negatively affecting riparian & aquatic habitat
Other impacts include soil erosion which may alter nearby rivers and water bodies.

Water quality characteristics most affected by timber harvesting are: (1) sediment (2) dissolved nutrients . . . and (3) water temperature.

Several wood-production programmes aim to increase the productivity of peatland soils Areas prepared for natural or artificial regeneration are usually treated by forest harrowing, screening or ploughing in mineral soil Scarification is now conducted after clear-cutting in almost all cases (80%) for better water balance and seeding. The scarification is normally conducted 1-3 years after cutting. The consequent rupture of the soil surface can cause leaching of organic matter, nutrients and metals accumulated in the soil.

pt.influenta solului asupra calitatii apei Sediment often carries organic matter, animal or industrial wastes, nutrients, and chemicals.
Runoff water also can transport potentially harmful dissolved chemicals from fields to bodies of water (Figure 1). Nitrogen, in the form of nitrate, NO3, may cause human and animal health problems when concentrations exceed 10 milligrams of nitrogen per liter (44 mg of NO3). In waters where nitrogen deficiency limits growth of the ecosystem, added nitrogen stimulates algae growth in the manner described earlier for phosphorus. Certain dissolved nutrients and pesticides can reach the groundwater by moving down through the soil (leaching). Nitrogen in the nitrate form can move in this way. pt.concluzii

We can have both healthy soil and clean water by applying good soil management practices. Miles, J.. 1986 What are the effects of trees on soils? In: Jenkins, D., (ed.) Trees and wildlife in the Scottish uplands. NERC/ITE, 55-62. (ITE Symposium, 17). http: //forestry.about.com/