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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →A 20-year analysis of 12 harvested forest sites in British Columbia found that soil-carbon outcomes depended in part on whether organic material on the forest floor was retained. Where the forest floor remained intact, forest-floor carbon declined by 5% over 20 years while carbon in the mineral soil beneath it increased by 14%. In the most intensive treatment—removing both harvest residue and the forest floor—total soil carbon fell sharply and remained below preharvest levels two decades later.
What is the forest floor?
The forest floor is the layer of organic material lying above mineral soil. It includes material such as fallen leaves, needles, branches and other plant matter. Mineral soil is the underlying soil made up largely of weathered mineral particles, with organic carbon also present within it.
These layers are measured separately in the reported findings. A change in carbon in the forest-floor layer is not necessarily the same as a change in mineral-soil carbon; the intact-floor plots, for example, showed a small decline in one and an increase in the other.
What did the British Columbia experiment compare?
The 2026 analysis examined 12 sites in the British Columbia Long-Term Soil Productivity (BC-LTSP) experiment, across four biogeoclimatic zones. Researchers compared plots with different levels of soil compaction and organic-matter removal. Measurements were taken before harvest and five, 10 and 20 years afterward.
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Stem-only and whole-tree harvesting
In stem-only harvesting, tree trunks are removed while canopy residue is left at the site. Whole-tree harvesting also removes that canopy residue. The report found that stem-only harvesting preserved about 15% more forest-floor carbon than whole-tree harvesting in the BC-LTSP analysis.
Harvesting method and forest-floor removal are related aspects of disturbance, but they are not interchangeable descriptions: removing canopy residue is not the same treatment as removing the organic layer over mineral soil.
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Removing organic material and disturbing soil
The plots also tested levels of organic-matter removal and soil compaction. In the most intensive treatment described in the report, both harvest residue and the forest floor were removed. This treatment produced the largest reported soil-carbon losses; it should not be confused with whole-tree harvesting alone.
How did soil carbon change over 20 years?
| Treatment or layer | Reported result in the 12-site BC-LTSP analysis |
|---|---|
| Forest floor left intact | Forest-floor carbon declined by 5% after 20 years; carbon in the underlying mineral soil increased by 14%. |
| Stem-only versus whole-tree harvesting | Stem-only harvesting preserved about 15% more forest-floor carbon than whole-tree harvesting. |
| Harvest residue and forest floor removed | Total soil carbon fell 52% within five years and was still 33% below preharvest levels after 20 years. |
The percentages describe different comparisons and soil pools. In particular, the 5% decline refers to forest-floor carbon where that layer remained intact, while the 52% and 33% figures refer to total soil carbon in the intensive removal treatment. They should not be read as directly comparable measurements of one pool.
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What does the 22–86-year recovery estimate mean?
For sites where the forest floor was fully removed, the report estimated that soil-carbon recovery could take 22 to 86 years. This is a range estimated for those BC-LTSP sites, not a universal timetable for forests elsewhere. The reported 20-year observations also show why recovery should not be assumed to be complete within a couple of decades: total soil carbon in the intensive removal treatment was still below its preharvest level at year 20.
What can—and can’t—be concluded from the results?
The findings support the interpretation that retaining organic residue and avoiding heavy disturbance to the forest floor can help preserve soil carbon under the conditions represented by this experiment. They do not establish a single outcome for logging in every forest. The report notes that tree type, climate, harvesting method and disturbances such as fire, insects and disease can affect soil-carbon estimates.
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The analysis is specifically a 20-year study of 12 sites across four biogeoclimatic zones in British Columbia. Its results are evidence from those sites and treatments, not a global estimate of logging impacts or a determination of tradeoffs involving timber yield, economics, wildfire or biodiversity. The report identifies the journal paper but does not provide its full methods, statistical uncertainty, site-level results or attributable scientist quotations; those details are not stated in the report.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Study details
The findings are reported by Brian M. Wallace and co-authors in “Forest Floor Protection: The Critical Defense Against Post‐Harvest Soil Carbon Loss,” published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences in 2026. View the paper’s DOI record.
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- Quick, at home results for Soil pH, Nitrogen, Phosphrous and Potash
- Innovative and inexpensive soil test kit features an easy-to-use capsule system and patented color comparators
- Contains all components needed for 40 tests. 10 for each of pH, N, P and K
- Simple, detailed instructions included. Great for beginners and experienced gardeners alike.
- Soil pH preference list for over 450 plants included
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