Rapid restoration of functional plant communities on sites intensively disturbed by oil shale development

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5596446

Koehler, D A

Soils and subsoils in a sagebrush community of the Piceance Basin of northwestern Colorado were thoroughly mixed to a 1 m depth. Four treatments were applied to subplots constructed on this medium including (1) supplemental water applied to one-half the subplots at weekly intervals for two growing seasons, (2) three seeding mixtures including 16-18 species of either native, introduced or combination grasses, forbs and shrubs, (3) four seeding techniques designed to enhance the establishment of one or more life forms and (4) no fertilization or fertilization consisting of applications of 112 kg N and 90 kg P/ha. After two growing seasons, high values of density, cover and aboveground biomass were obtained for some treatment combinations. Irrigation was an effective but expensive treatment for establishing closed stands of complex vegetation within two years after disturbance. Seed mixtures consisting of, or containing, introduced species, produced closed stands much faster than native species mixtures. Within each mixture, various species demonstrated a range of responses to the three other principal treatments. Vegetative responses to seeding techniques were functions of (1) the rate of seed applied and (2) the intensity of competition between life forms. Fertilization did not affect the densities of grasses, forbs or shrubs but enhanced cover and aboveground biomass of grasses and shrubs, but not forbs. Closed stands of restored plants can be produced in two growing seasons by manipulating seeding rates and application methods. Various components within those stands can be further manipulated or enhanced by irrigation and/or fertilization.

• Research Organization: Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5596446
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
COLORADO
OIL SHALE MINING
LAND RECLAMATION
CULTIVATION TECHNIQUES
FERTILIZERS
FIELD TESTS
GRASS
IRRIGATION
MIXTURES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PICEANCE CREEK BASIN
REVEGETATION
SEEDS
SHRUBS
SURFACE MINING
DISPERSIONS
FEDERAL REGION VIII
MINING
NORTH AMERICA
PLANTS
TESTING
USA
041000* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Environmental Aspects
510500 - Environment
Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (-1989)