Establishment of Low Maintenance Vegetation in Highway Corridors (original) (raw)
Related papers
Influence of herbaceous ground cover on forest restoration of eastern US coal surface mines
New Forests, 2012
Competitive effects of dense herbaceous vegetation (ground cover) can inhibit forest restoration on mine sites. Here we review the evidence of ground cover interactions with planted tree seedlings on coal surface mines of the eastern U.S., discuss recent research into these interactions, and draw conclusions concerning ground cover management when restoring forests on reclaimed coal mines. Reclaimed mine sites have a high potential to support productive forests, however forest establishment is inhibited by reclamation practices that included soil compaction, and the seeding of competitive ground covers. In the first few years after tree planting, a dense ground cover of grass and legume species commonly seeded on mine sites often affect growth and survival negatively. Herbaceous vegetation providing less extensive and competitive ground coverage may either facilitate or inhibit tree establishment, depending on site conditions. The use of quality planting stock promotes the competitive ability of seedlings by improving nutrient status and the ability to capture available resources. Herbaceous species have contrasting functional characteristics, and thus compete differently with trees for available resources. Negative interactions with trees are more frequently reported for non-native coolseason grasses than for native warm-season grasses, while the effects of legumes change overtime. Further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of tree/ground cover interactions. The development of seeding mixes that can control erosion, facilitate survival and growth of planted trees, and allow establishment by unplanted native species would aid forest restoration on eastern U.S, coal mines.
Vegetation communites of a coal mine reclamation site in southeastern Ohio
Laws regulating mine reclamation following coal extraction mandate the establishment of vegetative cover, which often includes the introduction of non-native plant species. We evaluated the vegetative community composition of a recovering, reclaimed surface mine at The Wilds, a conservation center in southeastern Ohio. In 2007 and 2009, we identified a total of 109 species within a 1885-ha grassland area. After >30 years postreclamation, invasive species were the predominant plants at the site, with no evidence of succession towards a mixed mesophytic forest typical of the region. Our study illustrates how non-native plantings followed by passive management can result in the development and stability of non-native communities even decades after reclamation. Strategic and longterm management efforts, such as careful preparation of the rooting zone for trees, or the establishment of deep-rooted native plants, along with frequent monitoring, are needed to recover native vegetation and associated wildlife.
Competitive effects of dense herbaceous vegetation (ground cover) can inhibit forest restoration on mine sites. Here we review the evidence of ground cover interactions with planted tree seedlings on coal surface mines of the eastern US, discuss recent research into these interactions, and draw conclusions concerning ground cover management when restoring forests on reclaimed coal mines. Reclaimed mine sites have a high potential to support productive forests, however forest establishment is inhibited by reclamation practices that included soil compaction, and the seeding of competitive ground covers. In the first few years after tree planting, a dense ground cover of grass and legume species commonly seeded on mine sites often affect growth and survival negatively. Herbaceous vegetation providing less extensive and competitive ground coverage may either facilitate or inhibit tree establishment, depending on site conditions. The use of quality planting stock promotes the competitive ability of seedlings by improving nutrient status and the ability to capture available resources. Herbaceous species have contrasting functional characteristics, and thus compete differently with trees for available resources. Negative interactions with trees are more frequently reported for non-native cool-season grasses than for native warm-season grasses, while the effects of legumes change over time. Further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of tree/ground cover interactions. The development of seeding mixes that can control erosion, facilitate survival and growth of planted trees, and allow establishment by unplanted native species would aid forest restoration on eastern US, coal mines.
Journal of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation, 2013
On a surface coal mine in southern West Virginia, the forestry reclamation approach was applied while quantifying the effects of substrate type and seeding prescription on survival and growth of native tree species and herbaceous vegetation. Four substrates were used: weathered sandstone (brown), unweathered sandstone/shale mix (gray), mixture of weathered and unweathered rock (mixed), and a mixture of the soil solum and unconsolidated soil parent material (soil). Each substrate treatment was split into two subplots; one seeded with a tree-compatible herbaceous seed mixture and one unseeded. Trees were planted in March 2012, measured for initial height in June 2012, and measured for height and survival in late October 2012. Herbaceous groundcover and species richness were measured during the growing season. After one growing season, mean percent survival and growth of planted trees differed among tree species and seeding treatments. There were no differences in tree survival among s...
Many state highway departments in the USA must use native plants for revegetating roadsides. We conducted two field studies in West Virginia to assess native plant establishment under two different conditions. On newly-constructed sites, native species were seeded alone or combined with non-native species. On older roadsides, native species were seeded in disturbed existing vegetation. In the first study, we used four seed mixtures comprised of seeds of native and non-native species, and two N-P-K fertilizer treatments at three newly-constructed sites. Native, warm-season grasses were slow to establish and only contributed 25 per cent cover in some plots after three years. Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans [L.] Nash), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman), Brown-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba L.), and wild senna (Cassia hebecarpa Fernald) were the only seeded native species found. Fertilizer at 150 kg ha À1 of 10-20-10 showed little influence on increasing plant cover. In the second study, we disturbed three different-aged established stands of vegetation composed of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Screb.) and crownvetch (Coronilla varia L.) by mowing, herbicide, or tillage, and native plants were seeded with and without fertilizer. Native cover was <10 per cent in all plots during the first year, but greatly increased by the second year to as much as 45 per cent in tilled plots, indicating that disturbance was necessary for natives to become important contributors within 2 years. Only switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), little bluestem (Andropogon scoparius Vitman), partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculate Michx.), and Brown-Eyed Susan were observed in plots. Fertilizer at 300 kg ha À1 of 10-20-10 did not increase native plant cover on these sites. Based on our results, introducing or increasing the cover of native species along roadsides requires (1) reducing competition from non-native species, and (2) longer time periods for these slower-establishing species to be observed.
Roadside revegetation by native plants
Ecological Engineering, 2008
Micro-topography MRPP CCA a b s t r a c t Recognizing the severity of road effects and need for developing a natural and self-sustained roadside vegetation cover, this study aimed to provide an ecological basis for selecting desirable native plants based on their autecological attributes by floristic analysis of naturally colonized plants in roadside microhabitats. We hypothesized that (i) vegetation zonation along roadsides is a function of the different microtopography and substrate types (microhabitats) created by road construction and (ii) plant colonization in these microhabitats is dependant upon the presence of suitable regeneration traits adapted to the specific microhabitats. We identified four distinct microhabitats namely shoulder, side slope, ditch and back slope from the edge of the road to the edge of the forest. We conducted vegetation and soil analyses in these microhabitats along 34 random transects running perpendicular to the road to the edge of forest in a 14 km section of the Trans Canada Highway (TCH) in Terra Nova National Park (TNNP), Newfoundland, Canada. The multi-response permutation procedure (MRPP) confirmed that the plant communities of the four roadside microhabitats were significantly different from each other. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that composition of roadside plant communities was related to gradients of soil moisture content, bulk density, organic matter depth and pH. Several indicator plants, determined by
Roadside Reclamation Outside the Revegetation Season: Management Options under Schedule Pressure
Restoration Ecology, 2011
Roadside reclamation involves standard revegetation practices that often fail under the adverse conditions imposed by subordination to the infrastructure construction schedule. We experimentally tested for seed and microsite limitations on roadslopes by assessing the effects of seed addition and habitat suitability upon plant cover and species richness. The relative contributions of topsoil seed bank, seed rain, and hydroseeding with standard or native seed mixtures were analyzed in relation to soil texture, fertility, and stability. In order to increase applicability, this research was fitted into the actual construction design and schedule of a highway in central Spain, which resulted in topsoil of varying quality, steep roadcuts and embankments (34 • ), and out-of-season hydroseedings. During the first 2 years following roadslope construction, there was an uneven but sustained increase in plant cover and species richness. Topsoil spread on embankments led to greater plant cover in a shorter time and to lower sedimentation rates at slope bases. The topsoil seed bank was extremely poor. Hydroseeding invariably failed, regardless of seed mixture and roadslope type. The seed rain provided seven times more seeds than hydroseedings, and was correlated with the distance to vegetation patches. Recruitment, however, was limited by microsite suitability, as the initial soil content in nitrate, total nitrogen, and organic matter explained up to 80% of variation in plant cover. In conclusion, when revegetation was performed outside the optimal season due to schedule constraints, measures aimed at overcoming microsite limitation were more cost-effective and enhanced roadside carrying capacity for local species.
Yield of switchgrass on reclaimed surface mines
Journal American Society of Mining and Reclamation
The invasion of Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) has been documented in disturbed landscapes leading to biodiversity loss and degradation of ecosystem function. Ailanthus interferes with the restoration of native species by its aggressive growth habit, alteration of nutrient cycles, and allelopathic chemical production. Recent studies suggest that allelopathy has a negative effect on the growth of red oak (Quercus rubra), possibly by interfering with the symbiosis of beneficial ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM). This fungal symbiont is essential for healthy tree growth and the unavailability of these fungi may impede the success of seedling regeneration. This study investigated the effects of Ailanthus on biomass production and ectomycorrhizal fungal (ECM) colonization of red oak (Q. rubra) seedlings on a reclaimed coal mine site in eastern Ohio. Six plots were designated in an existing riparian buffer zone in a wetland at The Wilds Conservation Center in Muskingum County. Three of the plots were in an area where mature Ailanthus was present. The other three plots were located in the same riparian zone that was without Ailanthus. Naturally regenerating two-year-old red oak seedlings were selected for study (10 seedlings per plot, 60 seedlings total). The oak seedlings were sampled for biomass (g) and ECM root colonization. Twoyear-old oak seedlings growing among mature Tree-of-Heaven produced significantly less biomass, specifically in root production, than the oaks growing without the invasive tree (P = 0.02). There was a decrease in ECM colonization (P = 0.001) and a shift in ECM community composition in plots where the Tree-of-Heaven was present (P = 0.0004). The increase in root biomass and ECM colonization may aid in the plant's competitive ability for belowground resources, important for reestablishment. These data suggest that areas impacted by the invasion of Tree-of-Heaven may require restoration with plant species less reliant on ECM colonization when planting in soils immediately following invasive species removal.