PARENT SESSION
Wednesday, August 9, 1:30-5:00 pm
COS 67 - Restoration ecology II: prairies, savannas, and aridlands
L-2, Lobby Level, Cook Convention Center
Presiders: R Anderson
Organic amendment placement creates differences in grass establishment, growth, and resiliency in restoration.
Biederman, Lori*,1, Whisenant, Steven1, 1 Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
ABSTRACT- Revegetation of large disturbed areas is difficult because of hostile conditions and minimal financial resources. Organic amendments can ameliorate harsh conditions by improving moisture and nutrient status. The extent that an amendment can influence these parameters depends, in part, on its location within the soil: surface or incorporated at depth. This study varied wood chip application location and quantity [control, light (765 g m-2), and heavy (1530 g m-2)] in a landfill remediation using prairie species. Grass basal area and tiller density were monitored seasonally for two years to assess treatment differences plant growth and survival. The first year was wetter than normal and the second was a drought. In May 2004, 14 months after planting, the light surface treatment resulted in largest initial plant basal area and the greatest number of plants m-2. However, planting technique created differences in response variables, even when no amendment was applied. When these differences were accounted for by using percent relative change since May 2004, the incorporated treatments had a greater positive change in the number of plants m-2 at the end of the two years. Percent relative change in basal area m-2 was highest in the heavy amendment treatment, regardless of mulch location. Individual species responded to the treatments differently: total basal area m-2 of Andropogon gerardii was higher and Bothriochloa ischaemum invasion was suppressed in the incorporated treatments. Although initial observations suggest that the surface treatments performed better, the incorporated treatments were more successful withstanding drought and resisting invasion.
Key words: restoration, resilience, amendments