Revegetation research on oil shale lands in the Piceance Basin

Technical Report · Sun Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6677130· OSTI ID:6677130

Redente, E F; Cook, C W

The overall objective of this project is to study the effects of various reclamation practices on above- and belowground ecosystem development associated with disturbed oil shale lands in northwestern Colorado. Plant growth media that are being used in field test plots include retorted shale, soil over retorted shale, subsoil materials, and surface disturbed topsoils. Satisfactory stands of vegetation failed to establish on unleached retorted shale during two successive years of seeding. All seedings with soil over retorted shale were judged to be successful at the end of three growing seasons, but deep-rooted shrubs that depend upon subsoil moisture may have their growth hampered by the retorted shale substrate. Natural revegetation on areas with various degrees of disturbance shows that natural invasion and succession was slow at best. Invasion of species on disturbed topsoil plots showed that after three years introduced seed mixtures were more effective than native mixtures in occupying space and closing the community to invading species. Fertilizer appears to encourage the invasion of annual plants even after the third year following application. Long-term storage of topsoil without vegetation significantly decreases the mycorrhizal infection potential and, therefore, decreases the relative success of aboveground vegetation and subsequent succession. Ecotypic differentation related to growth and competitive ability, moisture stress tolerance, and reproductive potential have been found in five native shrub species. Germplasm sources of two grasses and two legumes, that have shown promise as revegetation species, have been collected and evaluated for the production of test seed. Fertilizer (nitrogen) when added to the soil at the time of planting may encourage competition from annual weeds to the detriment of seeded species.

• Research Organization: Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins (USA). Dept. of Range Science
• DOE Contract Number: AS02-76EV04018
• OSTI ID: 6677130
• Report Number(s): COO-4018-5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
510500 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
CHEMICAL REACTORS
COLORADO
DATA
DATA COMPILATION
DEPTH
DIMENSIONS
DISPERSIONS
DISTILLATION EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FERTILIZERS
FIELD TESTS
GERMINATION
GRASS
GROWTH
INFORMATION
IRRIGATION
LAND RECLAMATION
LEGUMINOSAE
MICROORGANISMS
MINING
MIXTURES
MYCORRHIZAS
NITROGEN FIXATION
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OIL SHALE MINING
PICEANCE CREEK BASIN
PLANT GROWTH
PLANTS
RETORTS
REVEGETATION
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
SEEDS
SOILS
SPENT SHALES
TESTING
USA
WEEDS