Off-Road Vehicle Training Impacts On Soil and Vegetation.

Off-road vehicle training activities can cause significant adverse effects on soil and vegetation. The objective of this study was to quantify and analyze the correlation of off-road vehicle training on rutting impacts, above ground biomass, below ground biomass, and their recovery process.  A design was used to investigate the effects of vehicle maneuvering, created by M1A1 tanks, on four land treatments: control group, mowed, control burn, and hayed.  Measurements of soil texture, soil moisture, soil strength, rut depth, and rut width were taken, before and after the vehicle maneuvering, to measure the degree of soil disturbance. Samples of above and below ground biomass were also taken, before and after vehicle maneuvering, to analyze the degree of vegetation disturbance.  This study was conducted over a three-year period, taking samples and measurements twice a year, with one off-road military vehicle under two soil moisture conditions and two soil texture conditions at Fort Riley, Kansas.  Results show that all the vehicle maneuvering and soil parameters (soil texture and moisture) are statistically significant to rut formation and vegetation loss.  Results also show that level of impact intensity to the soil and vegetation is statistically significant to the recovery time and process.