Effects of post-fire restoration practices on soils
Collaborators: Amy Ganguli: North Dakota State University, Nancy Shaw: US Forest Service, Robert Cox: Texas Tech University, Mike Pellant: BLM, David Pyke: USGS
Project Web site: www.fs.fed.us/rm/boise/research/shrub/fire
Project Web site: www.fs.fed.us/rm/boise/research/shrub/fire
Post-fire emergency stabilization and rehabilitation (ES&R) is often enacted by the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM). One commonly used method of rehabilitation is seed drilling to re-establish native plants. Currently the BLM monitors treatment effectiveness for three years post-fire; however, this monitoring focuses on plants only. Although soil stabilization efforts are made, there is no effort in rehabilitating soils or monitoring soil recovery.
We conducted a project funded by the Joint Fire Science Program comparing the effects of the Kemmerer drill to a Truax (minimum till) drill. Although the Kemmerer drill may be effective at seeding native grasses, its success at planting sagebrush and native forbs is less well known. Additionally, the Kemmerer drill creates a large soil disturbance by creating furrows on the landscape. The Truax drill was designed to control seed metering, planting depth, increase seed-to-soil contact, and minimize soil disturbance.
We compared the impacts of the Kemmerer and Truax drill on soil chemical and physical properties, as these soil properties will determine how successful plants are at establishing and surviving. We compared the following soil properties among treatments: 1) compaction, 2) microrelief, 3) chemistry, 4) texture, 5) stability, and 6) loss due to wind erosion. Sites were located in Oregon, Idaho and Utah.
We conducted a project funded by the Joint Fire Science Program comparing the effects of the Kemmerer drill to a Truax (minimum till) drill. Although the Kemmerer drill may be effective at seeding native grasses, its success at planting sagebrush and native forbs is less well known. Additionally, the Kemmerer drill creates a large soil disturbance by creating furrows on the landscape. The Truax drill was designed to control seed metering, planting depth, increase seed-to-soil contact, and minimize soil disturbance.
We compared the impacts of the Kemmerer and Truax drill on soil chemical and physical properties, as these soil properties will determine how successful plants are at establishing and surviving. We compared the following soil properties among treatments: 1) compaction, 2) microrelief, 3) chemistry, 4) texture, 5) stability, and 6) loss due to wind erosion. Sites were located in Oregon, Idaho and Utah.