Improving the performance of roadside vegetation.

Details

• Creators:
  Dudley, Megan M. ; Jacobi, William R. ; Brown, Cynthia. S.
• Corporate Creators:
  Colorado. DTD Applied Research and Innovation Branch
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Roadside flora and fauna
  • Deicing chemicals
  • Environmental impacts
  • Roadside plants--Effect of magnesium on--Colorado
  • Deicing chemicals--Environmental aspects--Colorado
  • Roadside improvement--Colorado
• Publication/ Report Number:
  CDOT-2011-2
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  Colorado
• Edition:
  Final; 7/7/08 to 12/31/2010.
• Corporate Publisher:
  Colorado. DTD Applied Research and Innovation Branch
• Abstract:
  Vegetation along roadways can be aesthetically pleasing and helps to stabilize the soil, which reduces wind-blown soil ; and soil erosion. While products containing chloride salts have proven to be very effective in helping to provide safe road ; surfaces, the accumulation of these products in roadside soils may create conditions unsuitable for the growth of some ; plant species. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a magnesium chloride–based deicer, a sodium ; chloride-based deicer, and the major salts contained in these deicers on seed germination and seedling growth and ; development of fifteen species of grasses and forbs native to Colorado. Seven of the fifteen species performed well at the ; low and medium concentrations of the salts and solutions; these are plants that can likely germinate in roadside areas. ; An increase in the concentration of chloride or sodium ions, or both, was related to a greater impact on the proportions of ; normal and abnormal seeds and seedlings. A few species were more negatively impacted by a particular salt type or ; formulation. Eight of the fifteen species tested had too few plant counts at either field site or in different soils and ; treatments to conduct individual data analysis on the impact of salt treatments. Salt treatments had no impact on the ; average numbers of plants for the remaining seven species, except the two fescue species, which were negatively ; impacted by high concentrations of salt treatments in topsoil. In general, all species had more plants and greater growth ; on topsoil than sand, and sand was better than gravel. The salt concentrations in the field plantings were diluted by ; precipitation during the study so the impacts were probably less than what would be seen with consistently high ; concentrations. ; Implementation: ; Using species with the highest germination rate provides the best opportunity for establishing plants along highways ; treated with deicing products. If possible, planting should be done in the fall and the soil should be amended to promote ; plant growth. Future studies should quantify conditions of vegetation along highways so that spatial relationships of ; highway maintenance, site factors, vegetation types, and metrological factors can be assessed.
  More +
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  41.71
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/18577/dot_18577_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 769.54 KB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:aad6aa43f72b86b75c960a7e407bf2c2155f0adc33f88a703e404fb0f7552c6d