Impact of skidding operations on soil physical properties in southern Italy

Skidding by heavy forestry machinery can affect soil physical properties. We assessed the effects of ground-based skidding on soil bulk density and total porosity in a southern Italian forest. Treatments included a combination of four levels of traffic int ensity (1, 5, 10, and 15 passes) of a John Deere 548H rubber skidder and two levels of slope (< 20% and > 20%). Further, soil bulk density and total porosity were evaluated at different distances from the track (BT). The results