Revegetation Strategies and Technologies for …Revegetation Strategies and Technologies for Restoration of Native Shrub/Grass Plant Communities on Xeric Saltcedar Infestation Sites

Revegetation Strategies and Technologies for Restoration of Native Shrub/Grass Plant Communities on Xeric Saltcedar

Infestation Sites

Kenneth D. Lair and Sarah L. WynnTechnical Service Center, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver

Diorhabda elongata

_________________________________ARSAPHISNRCS (PMC)

Saltcedar BiologicalControl Consortium

San MarcialProject

Site

Saltcedar Revegetation Research Sites

San Marcial, 2002Cibola, 2003

BBNP, 2004

Latitude 33.3902o N; Longitude 114.7078o W;UTM Zone 11, NAD 27, 713212E, 3696701N;SW ¼ Section 25 and NW ¼ Section .36, T. 1 N., R. 24 W.

Cibola National Wildlife Refuge

Cibola5.5 miles

Palo Verde, CA

3.5 miles

COLORADO

RIVER

Cibola burn site(~45 miles N. of Yuma, AZ)

Tamarix ramosissimaAtriplex lentiformisBaccharis spp.

Lower Rio Grande:• Big Bend National Park (NPS)• Big Bend Ranch State Park (TP&W)• Santa Elena Canyon Protected Area, Mexico• Maderas del Carmen Protected Area, Mexico

Tamarix ramosissimaArundo donaxProsopis spp.Acacia spp.

< 25%?

75%+?

Lepidium latifolium

Mean spacing – 1.4 mNo. primary stems (> 2.5 cm) – 5.6

Stem Diameter – 3.8 cmCanopy height – 5.4 m

Litter depth, cover – 2.2 cm, 78%Litter biomass – 7,475 kg ha-1

(n = 120)

22.4 cm MAP13.9 cm (62%), July - Oct

Mycorrhizal presence = 0

Texture = SCL, CLEC = range 12.8-19.4,

µ = 16 mmhos cm-1

SAR = range 16.5-21.2,µ = 19 meq L-1

pH = 8.4OM = 1.1%NO3-N = 1.7 ppmP = 15.2 ppmK = 618 ppm

Groundwaterdata

EC = 3,500 µS cm-1

pH = 7.5CaCO3 = 674 mg L -1SO4

= = 989 mg L -1Na+ = 573 mg L -1Cl- = 282 mg L -1NO3/NO2-N = 0.03 mg L -1

Al+ = 76,300 mg L-1

Fe++ = 65,500 mg L-1

Mn++ = 4,170 mg L-1

Ca++ = 246 mg L -1Mg++ = 82 mg L -1

Mean depth = 2.1 m

STUDY 2 – Biocontrol Simulation

1 N N 60 A N A N 60

4 A N N 60 N N 60 A

7 A N N 60 N 60 N A

N 60 N 60 N A N N 60

N N N 60 N 60 N N 60

A A A A N A

2500 ft2

S R CN H

S R C IS R C H

(NH, SRCH plots herbicidally treated)

EM38 readings – all plotsAM samples – 2 per rep (4 Replications, 4.8 ha)

Herbicide application (triclopyr)in simulation of insect injury

Mid-February 2002

Mechanical ShreddingUsing HydroAx™ with Woodgator™

for plot delineation

San Marcial, NM Study Site(Two studies – 22.6 acres)

April 2002

Study 2 Study 1

July 2002

12N

Completed plot shredding

Early July 2002

Broadcast seeding of four custom seed mixtures+ mycorrhizal inoculation

+ soil nitrogen manipulation

Mid-July 2002

Glomus• mosseae• intraradices• fasciculatus

Enhance capture of:Soil moisturePhosphorous

NH4

Salt tolerance?(Lab / Greenhouse Studies)

Roller chopping• seed and inoculum incorporation;• enhance moisture capture and retention;• reduce surface soil salinity impacts.

Imprinting following roller chopping to further enhance moisture capture, and reduce salinity

Culivar Mixture

Scientific Name Common Name or Pre-Release Rate

(% )

STANDARD MIXTURE - STUDY 2Bouteloua curtipendula Sideoats grama Niner 10.0Elymus trachycaulus Slender wheatgrass Pryor 11.0Panicum virgatum Switchgrass Blackwell 15.0Pascopyrum smithii Western wheatgrass Arriba 10.0Sporobolus airoides Alkali sacaton Salado 15.0Sporobolus giganteus Giant dropseed 5.0Anemopsis californica Yerba mansa 2.0Plantago insularis Wooly plaintain 2.0Sphaeralcea coccinea Scarlet globemallow 2.0Atriplex canescens Fourwing saltbush 12.0Baccharis glutinosa Seep willow 3.0Atriplex lentiformis Quailbush 4.0Lycium andersonii Anderson's wolfberry 7.0Chrysothamnus nauseosus graveolens Rubber rabbitbrush 2.0

TOTALS = 100.0

Seed Mixture

November 2002FrequencyDensity

Atriplex lentiformis

Atriplex canescens

Bouteloua curtipendula

Elymus trachycaulus

Lycium andersonii

Datura stramonium

Non-Seeded Species

Cucurbita foetidissimaPanicum obtusum

Heliotropium curassavicum

SALTCEDAR TREATMENT

HERBICIDESHRED / R

CHERB / S

/ RC

S / RC / I

MPRINT

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

Freq

uenc

y (%

)

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30FREQUENCY DENSITY

Atriplex lentiformis

c

b

aba

c

b

a

a

(LSD = 0.07)(LSD = 4.1)

P < 0.001n = 288

HERBICIDESHRED / R

CHERB / S

/ RC

S / RC / I

MPRINT

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

0.35

0.40

Den

sity

(per

sq.

met

er)

FREQUENCY DENSITY

Atriplex canescensc

b b

a

c

b

a

b

(LSD = 0.09)(LSD = 4.5)

P < 0.001n = 288

HERBICIDESHRED / R

CHERB / S

/ RC

S / RC / I

MPRINT

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

Freq

uenc

y (%

)

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

FREQUENCYDENSITY

Elymus trachycaulusb

aa a

b

aa

a

(LSD = 0.62)(LSD = 7.6)

P < 0.001

SALTCEDAR TREATMENT

n = 288

NO INOCULATIO

N

GRANULAR

SEED COATING

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

0.35

0.40

Den

sity

(per

sq.

met

er)

FREQUENCY DENSITY

Bouteloua curtipendula

a

b

aa

b

b

(LSD = 0.05)(LSD = 2.5)

P < 0.05n = 288

MYCORRHIZAL INOCULATION

CANOPY HEIGHT TALLEST STEM NEAREST NEIGHBOR

SPROUT RESPONSE

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

Dis

tanc

e (m

)

SHRED / RC HERB / SHRED / RC SHRED / RC / IMPRINT

Tamarix ramosissiman = 288

LSD = 0.10 LSD = 0.11LSD = 0.11

bb

b b

a a

a a

a

P < 0.01

SUMMARY OF PRELIMINARY RESULTS(1st Year Data, 2002)

• ATLE, ATCA, ELTR– Frequency, density highest in seeded herbicide plots

(no mechanical treatment) - 1.5-2X– Plants in herbicide plots stunted (2-5 cm), weak,

stressed

SUMMARY OF PRELIMINARY RESULTS(1st Year Data, 2002)

• ATLE, ATCA, ELTR– Frequency, density highest in seeded herbicide plots

(no mechanical treatment) - 1.5-2X– Plants in herbicide plots stunted (2-5 cm), weak,

stressed– Fewer plants but much greater

productivity in mechanically treated plots:• ATLE: up to 1.2 m• ATCA: up to 0.9 m• ELTR: up to 30 cm

SUMMARY OF PRELIMINARY RESULTS(1st Year Data, 2002)

• ATLE, ATCA, ELTR– Frequency, density highest in seeded herbicide plots (no

mechanical treatment) - 1.5-2X– Plants in herbicide plots stunted (2-5 cm), weak, stressed– Fewer plants but much greater productivity in mechanically

treated plots:• ATLE: 3-4’• ATCA: 2-3’• ELTR: 12”

– Negligible response to mycorrhizal inoculation or N– *** 2nd year data (2003):

• anticipate reversal of frequency, density results• additional species emerging, breaking dormancy

SUMMARY OF PRELIMINARY RESULTS(1st Year Data, 2002)

• BOCUNo difference in frequency, density between treatments (limited 1st year emergence)Emerged plants 30-45 cm, vigorous• 1st year seed production

Positive mycorrhizal response• Granular and seed coating inoculation 1.5-2X no

mycorrhizae (frequency and density)• No difference between granular and seed coating

Recent cooperative research start with Dr. Anna Sher, DU-Denver, on mycorrhizal adaptation and inoculation potential across salinity gradients and SW riparian species.

SUMMARY OF PRELIMINARY RESULTS(1st Year Data, 2002)

• TARA

– Relative cover, stem count – no difference– Canopy and tallest stem height

• SRC – 1.9 m • SRCH, SRCI – 1.6 m

• No correlation of emergence or establishment with soil salinity / sodicity.

Absence of weed pressure (1o KOSC)

2003-2004:Canopy CoverBasal CoverBiomassDiversityVigor

2002:FrequencyDensity

HYDRAHUME AND SODIUMHYDRAHUME AND SODIUM

Tamarix ramosissima

Dumas

Plum Creek

McBride Canyon

Bonita Creek

Dumas

Lake Meredith National Recreation Area

Palo Verde, CA

Cibola

Latitude 33.3902o N; Longitude 114.7078o W;UTM Zone 11, NAD 27, 713212E, 3696701N;SW ¼ Section 25 and NW ¼ Section .36, T. 1 N., R. 24 W.

Cibola National Wildlife Refuge

5.5 miles

3.5 miles

COLORADO

RIVER

Cibola burn site(~45 miles N. of Yuma, AZ)

Lower Rio Grande:• Big Bend National Park (NPS)• Big Bend Ranch State Park (TP&W)• Santa Elena Canyon Protected Area, Mexico• Maderas del Carmen Protected Area, Mexico