ABSTRACT

AGUS SETIAWAN. Performance of Stand Structure and Soil Compaction in Residual Stand of Natural Production Forest. Under academic supervision of ENDANG SUHENDANG, TEDDY RUSOLONO and JUANG RATA MATANGARAN. In management of natural forest whose objective is sustainable production of wood, there is at present, a shift in paradigm of world forest management, from the previous paradigm which pursue ease of management to gain high productivity and uniform wood quality, to the new paradigm which pursue forest structure which approach as close as possible the structure of natural forest which occur or has ever occurred in that site (close to natural forest). For implementing this paradigm, there is a need for information on stand and soil at the same place and at the same forest management unit. Several previous researches have been conducted, but with partial approach. In this research there was assessment of stand structure and soil compaction at the same place in residual stand, and also assessment of the tendency to approach the condition of primary forest. The objective of this research is to obtain information on stand structure and soil compaction, as well as their tendency to approach the condition of primary forest and to assess the possibility of utilizing this information for designing techniques for extracting wood from forest harvesting in heterogeneous uneven aged production forest (mixed species). The research was conducted in natural forest concession of PT. Gunung Gajah Abadi, District of Kutai Timur, the province of East Kalimantan. Soil analysis was conducted in Laboratory of Department of Soil Sciences and Land Resources, Faculty of Agriculture, Bogor Agricultural University. Forest stand research plots were constructed at condition of 4, 8 and 26 years after logging, and there were also plots in primary forest which served as control. Measurement of soil compaction were conducted in landing site, main skidding trail and branch skidding trail at each of the forest conditions of 4, 8 and 26 years after logging and the primary forest. Because research on the performance of stand structure and soil compaction could not be conducted at exactly the same location or plot, then it was difficult to determine the relation between condition of residual stand and soil compaction. Stand condition and soil compaction in logged over area tended to recover, approaching the condition of primary forest. Based on condition of residual stand and soil compaction at the research area, the alternatives which could be chosen for techniques of extracting wood from forest harvesting is by using old main skidding trail and constructing new branch skidding trail. Residual stand which has recovered, did not need planting activities, whereas old branch skidding trails which had not been used anymore, are better to be subjected to planting activities and maintenance. Key words: harvesting, recovery, residual stand, soil compaction