Soil physical properties of Rehabilitated and Closed skid trails, Ťahanovce, Košice (Slovakia), 2023

This dataset contains measured and calculated physical properties of closed and rehabilitated skid trails after 12 years in Ťahanovce, Košice (Slovakia).
Soil samples were taken from several site types: skid trail ruts (CS), rehabilitated pits (RS-p), rehabilitated mounds (RS-m), and undisturbed soil (UND). The samples were collected from two different depths: 0–5 cm and 5–10 cm, with RS-m samples collected only from the 0–5 cm depth. A total of 171 soil samples were collected using a steel ring (3.1 cm diameter, 3.3 cm height, 101.51 cm³ volume). Each sample was labeled with a unique code, sealed in plastic bags, and sent to the laboratory for analysis.

In the lab, the samples were dried at 105°C for 24 hours and reweighed using a highly accurate laboratory scale (precision of 0.01 g). Soil moisture content was calculated by comparing the wet and dry weights of the samples. Bulk density (BD) was determined by dividing the dry soil weight by the volume of the steel ring. Particle density (PD) was measured for fine soil particles (<2 mm) using an air pycnometer. Total porosity (TP) was then calculated as the difference between PD and BD, expressed as a percentage. The particle size distribution was determined using the laser diffraction method. Soil texture was classified according to the USDA soil texture system. Soil organic carbon (SOC) was measured using a spectrophotometric method based on dry combustion. Additionally, all samples underwent a visual inspection for mottling, which can indicate anaerobic conditions possibly caused by waterlogging and soil compaction. The dataset provides comprehensive data on soil properties in the rehabilitated and unrehabilitated skid trail sections, offering insights into the long-term impact of skid trail rehabilitation on soil recovery, specifically in terms of bulk density, porosity and soil organic carbon content. This information is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of rehabilitation methods in promoting forest ecosystem recovery.
Metadata included.