Area Around Parachute, Colorado note very minimal vegetation density.

Transcription

1 Taking On The Semi-Arid Environment Of Western Colorado Parachute, Colorado is located at 5000 ft. elevation and receives about 13 inches of precipitation a year, about half what the average is for the entire United States. Being at this elevation with limited humidity and high UV intensity creates an excellent proving ground for any product s ability to establish vegetation and the overall ruggedness of the product. Area Around Parachute, Colorado note very minimal vegetation density. Image courtesy While this area may seem fairly rugged, it does offer one advantage to the U.S. economy, it is an area of large oil and natural gas reserves. While searching for and mining these reserves does create some conflict with the natural beauty of the area, the mining and oil companies are striving to remediate and revegetate the areas they do need to disturb to obtain these precious natural reserves. However, they often find that other materials used in the revegetation processes may provide effective erosion control they often do not meet the needs good soil characteristics to establish good vegetation in this environment. A 100% biodegradable straw/coconut erosion control blanket two years after installation on a nearby embankment. While the blanket has provided effective erosion control it does nothing to improve the vegetation establishment capability of the poor soils and harsh environment. The perfect combination would have been the Biotic Earth HGM with the blanket installed over it.

2 Because of these issues one company approached Verdyol Plant Research to find a material that would be up to the task and provide for more effective vegetation establishment and soil building. The Verdyol Plant Research Biotic Earth Hydraulic Growth Medium (HGM) was selected for use on a small test plot near a wellhead to determine its overall ability to assist in the revegetation efforts of the company in this demanding environment. It was felt that the unique qualities like, the HGMs combination of straw, flexible flax fibers and peat moss along with the companies EarthBound 2000 Soil Stabilizer compared to other hydraulically applied erosion control products would provide the needed improvement in the soil building to assist vegetation establishment and long-term maintenance. Material Benefit Straw Mulching material to retain moisture and regulate temperature at the soil surface A source of important organic matter for addition to the soil Immediate erosion control by providing cover to the soil surface Flexible Flax Fibers Mechanical stabilization of straw fibers Additional source of organic matter for soil Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Growth medium Soil building material EarthBound 2000 Soil Stabilizer Soil flocculation for pore space development and to reduce soil erosion Soil aggregate/structure formation to allow movement of organics and water into soil Cross-linked hydro colloidal tackifier to effectively adhere HGM to the soil Minor nitrogen source for microbial energy The HGM was applied at a rate of 2500 lbs/acre along with 0.5 lbs of EarthBound 2000 soil stabilizer per bag of mulch in the fall of 2009 on one section of the embankment in combination with an organic, slow release fertilizer and then this application was covered with a wood fiber mulch. Directly adjacent to the test plot a control plot was also installed using just the organic slow release fertilizer and the wood fiber mulch. In Colorado, fall is the best time to seed because it provides the seeds the best opportunity for germination and early plant establishment while there is moisture present. The soils for both test plots contained no organic material, show no defined structure, and were low in nutrient levels. The material was left in place throughout the Fall, Winter and Spring. In June of 2010, the site was found to have exceptional vegetation establishment for this area in the plot treated with the Biotic Earth HGM. Whereas the control plot, where just the fertilizer and wood fiber mulch were applied showed no vegetation establishment. The vegetation on the HGM portion of the embankment is forming in clumps because an additional technique of placing small indentations into the soil is also used in this environment to further enhance soil moisture.

3 Verdyol Biotic Earth Hydraulic Growth Medium was applied on soil embankment behind wellheads. The control plot where just the organic slow release fertilizer and wood fiber mulch was applied is located to the right of the wellheads and the electrical box. As seen there has been no germination or vegetation establishment on the control plot.

4 For this semi-arid environment the HGM plot yielded exceptional germination and vegetative growth in the foreground. The control plot still has experienced no germination as shown in the background. Looking down slope on the vegetative growth experienced on the HGM plot.

5 Time the true test for any revegetation system: Revisiting the Parachute, Colorado project 2 years after installation! Granted an erosion control or revegetation method may work for its specified period of time and even get good seed germination but, the true test of the product is can the location sustain vegetation for the following season, the following year, the following ten years? This is the true test of a revegetation project and if the means and methods that were used on the site to establish and sustain vegetation are truly effective. Therefore, if the vegetation is able to be maintained it is obvious the long-term erosion control will be effective. There in lies the whole idea behind the development of the Biotic Earth hydraulic growth mediums (HGMs), adding only the needed material to get more rapid vegetation establishment while ensuring the long-term maintenance of the vegetation. The Biotic Earth products provide amendments and materials that are often not provided by currently available erosion control materials. To ensure the most effective results from the Biotic Earth products we followed one specific project in Parachute, Colorado, under some of the toughest vegetation establishment conditions for multiple seasons. As you can see from the pictures the vegetation has become very well established and continues to thrive in an area that is less than hospitable for vegetation. As you can see, there is minimal to no vegetation growth on the areas where other erosion control and revegetation systems were tried. This speaks highly on how effective the Biotic Earth products are for providing the materials that are essential for immediate seed germination, vegetation establishment and ultimately the long-term vegetation growth. The area in the foreground utilized the Biotic Earth HGM and two years after installation the vegetation continues to thrive and develop to the maximum sustainable level in this harsh environment.

6 The vegetated plot on the left utilized the Biotic Earth HGM and continues to thrive while the plot on the right, where another material was used is having difficulty even establishing even minimal vegetation two years after installation.