Evaluation of salvage and replanted native plants on ADOT projects.

Details

• Creators:
  Mielke, Judy ; Curella, Tisha ; James, Jenni ; Colebank, Wayne
• Corporate Creators:
  Logan Simpson Design, Inc.
• Corporate Contributors:
  Arizona. Department of Transportation ; United States. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Carnegiea Gigantea Landscape Maintenance Native Plants Revegetation Saguaro Salvage Transplant Vegetation Vegetation Control
• Publication/ Report Number:
  FHWA-AZ-12-587
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  Arizona
• Edition:
  Final report.
• Corporate Publisher:
  Arizona. Department of Transportation
• Abstract:
  ADOT has transplanted thousands of saguaros during the construction of roadway projects, and although
  
  the projects are typically tracked for two years, the long-term survivability of saguaros has never been
  
  documented. The purpose of this study is to examine ADOT projects in which saguaros were transplanted
  
  as part of the revegetation effort, and to evaluate the factors that contribute to the survival and good health
  
  of saguaros. The development of more successful techniques for salvaging saguaros will help ensure the
  
  long-term viability of transplanted saguaros and will enable ADOT to spend monies more effectively. Four
  
  projects involving saguaro salvage and replanting were selected for evaluation: State Route 86 Covered
  
  Wells, State Route 87 Tombstone Hill, State Route 188 Resort Road to Devore Wash, and US Route 93
  
  Kaiser Spring. The projects occurred over a broad geographic area, with elevations ranging from 2,018 to
  
  3,190 feet.
  
  An inventory of all saguaros, both alive and dead, was conducted in 2008. Each plant was assigned a
  
  number, its location was recorded using GPS equipment, a photograph was taken, and information was
  
  recorded regarding plant size and health and surrounding environmental conditions. Consistent among
  
  the four projects inventoried was the finding that the taller saguaros had a lower survival rate and exhibited
  
  poorer health after transplantation. Saguaros up to 12 feet in height typically exhibited good health. A
  
  sharp decrease in the percentage of plants in good health was observed in the 12-foot-plus saguaros, and
  
  particularly in the 20-foot-plus size. The presence of arms had a negative effect on saguaro survivability
  
  and overall health, an observation that held true for all the projects. A third variable affecting saguaro
  
  survivability and health was planting depth. A marked decrease in health was observed among saguaros
  
  that did not exhibit taper at the base of the plant, an indication that the saguaro was planted too deep.
  
  Recommendations are discussed regarding saguaro salvage and replanting techniques.
  
  
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  ADOT contract: T0749A0029 ; FHWA program: SPR-PL-1(67)
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:7e234910d2f614cf769d78852aa1188514f713a4927b1fba8caae24a1938f82b
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/24514/dot_24514_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 4.22 MB ]