Transcript
Vegetation
Distribution on a Saline Landscape
Hailstone National Wildlife Refuge
Nelson, 2009
BillingsBozeman
Hailstone NWR
RegionalGroundwater Salinity
Concentrations
Hailstone NWR
Nelson, USFWS 2009
Watershed Area = 12,634 hectares Reservoir Area = 226 hectaresVolume = 2,168,461 kiloliters
Courtesy Google Maps - Terrain
Hailstone Basin
Elevation of Groundwater
USFWS 2009
Nelson, USFWS 2009
1941 1954 1962
1979 1991 2003
Hailstone Reservoir
at 54% Salt - 2003
TDS levels
exceeding 500,000
ppm
(Seawater ~ 34,000 ppm)
Nelson, USFWS 2009
Problem
Elevated waterfowl and wildlife mortality.
Crop Fallow
Google Earth Image, 2011
Saline Seep Development
McCauley & Jones, 2005
Seelig 2000
Soil
Classification
EC
(dS/m)SAR pH
Saline > 4.0 < 12 < 8.5
Sodic < 4.0 > 12 > 8.5
Saline-Sodic > 4.0 > 12 < 8.5
Non-stress Condition
Stress Condition
Effects of Salinity
on Vegetation
Problem
Elevated salinity & selenium causing severe
waterfowl and wildlife mortality.
Goals
Examine vegetation distribution, landscape
characteristics, hydrology and soil chemistry.
Compare these conditions with vegetation.
Vegetation Characteristics
Objectives
1) Identify plants on selected sampling
points, measure canopy cover by
species, determine species richness and
calculate diversity. Classify plants using
known indices for anoxia/saturation
toleration (USFWS) and salt tolerance
(USDA).
Objective: Vegetation
ABCD
50 cm x 50 cm
(2500 cm2)
sampling frame
vegetation identified
percent cover estimated
for each species
Objective: Vegetation
Salicornia rubra - glasswort, swamp fireweed
USDA Plants Database
Position Species WIScanopy
cover
A Salicornia rubra OBL 70%
Objective: Vegetation
Suaeda calceoliformis - seepweed
USDA Plants Database
Position Species WIScanopy
cover
B Suaeda calceoliformis FACW 22%
Objective: Vegetation
Distichlis spicata – saltgrass
USDA Plants Database
Position Species WIScanopy
cover
C Distichlis spicata FACW 16%
Photo: Matt Lavin
Poa pratensis – Kentucky bluegrass
Position Species WIScanopy
cover
D Poa pratensis FACU 33%
Objective: Vegetation
Objective: Vegetation
Position
A B C D
Invers
e S
impson's
(1/D
)
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
Shannon W
iener
(H')
0.00
0.05
0.10
0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30
Simpson's
Shannon-Wiener
0
5
10
15
20
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
De
pth
(cm
)
EC dS/m
Mean EC (dS/m) vs. depth by position
A
B
C
D
Objective: Soils
Objectives
5) Compare vegetation characteristics with
abiotic conditions and use data to help
refuge managers determine revegetation
strategies for soil stabilization
Synthesize Vegetation Characteristics
and
Abiotic Condition
VEGETATIONLA
ND
SCA
PE
HYDROLOGY
SOILS
EC
N-P-K
%OM
Saturation Depth
% Canopy CoverSpecies Type
Point Elevation & Distance to Water Surface
Objective: Synthesis
Summary of Observations
• Banded vegetation patterns are representative of unique
abiotic conditions at Hailstone.
• Soil salinity and saturation are closely linked based on
position from water (lake or swale) and depth.
• An environmental gradient exists where salinity and soil
saturation values are highest closer to the lake and
lowest in the upland positions.
Recommendations
• Build a revegetation model based on observational data,
field scale seeding and planting trials, and soils and
hydrologic data from the newly exposed lake bed.
• Organize areas on the landscape into planting zones
based on elevation, hydrology and soil salinity. Choose
a variety of species and forms (seed, plugs and
transplants) most suited for the conditions within each
zone.
Objective:
Synthesis
2010 – Harvested Puccinellia On Site using the Arbuckle Native Seedster
Seedster – Combs, Brushes, and Air to Harvest Seed –
No Plant Damage
Harvested 125 Lbs. Puccinellia – Enough for 500 acres
Seeded November 2010
Secret Ingredient
Hmmm….I wonder if
there’s any secret
ingredients in this truck…
What the heck am I doing out
here?
Inland saltgrass - Distichlis spicata established
Suaeda calceoliformis var. erecta
Establishing behind snow fence
~Questions~
top related