This study evaluated the moisture effect in soil compaction submitted to wood harvesting machine traffic in Pinus taeda L. stands. The study was conducted in the operational areas of a forestry company located in Santa Catarina. The data were obtained in a Humic Cambisol soil in different periods in order to contemplate variations in soil moisture. It was compared the situation without traffic (WT) and after machine traffic (AT) by determining the bulk density (Ds) and soil total porosity (Pt) at the depths of 0 to 15, 15 to 30 and 30 to 50 cm, and soil penetration resistance (PR) in the depths between 0 to 80 cm. The results showed that the major changes caused by traffic of machines in the physical properties occurred with increasing of moisture content. It was also detected changes in the entire soil profile. This demonstrated that the wood harvesting when performed in soils with high moisture contents will cause greater compaction. Among the models compared to estimate the soil penetration resistance, Stepwise Arithmetic Model with Mixed variables (MSAM), which estimated the RP by inverse Ds and Ug in pure form was the one with the best adjustement, explaining 71% of the variation of this property, and evidencing the possible influence of other factors in the estimation of soil compaction.
Compaction; Moisture; Wood harvesting
