ARS | Publication request: OVER-WINTER CHANGES TO TRACKED-VEHICLE RUTS, YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER, WASHINGTON

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 30, 1997
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Tracked vehicles form ruts and compact soil that can affect erosion. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of tanks on soil and to observe changes in the surface profile of tank ruts at the Yakima Training Center, in central Washington. We found average standard deviation of tank rut surface profiles decreased significantly during winter 1995-1996 indicating that the soil surfaces were smoothing. We measured similar soil penetration resistance and bulk density inside and outside tank ruts near the soil surface. However, below 5 cm, we generally observed lower saturated hydraulic conductivity, higher bulk density and higher soil penetration resistance inside than outside ruts. Our data suggest environmental processes like freeze-thaw cycles change the effects of tracked vehicles near the surface first, and can do so over one winter and spring.