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IMPROVING RECLAMATION SUCCESS THROUGH WEED MANAGEMENT AND SEEDED SPECIES SELECTION
Author
Fowers, Beth
Mealor, Brian A.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2015
Body

As part of the energy extraction process, soils are scraped from sites to access mineral deposits or to create level surfaces for drilling or mining activities. This disturbance kills plants, and makes it necessary to reintroduce desirable species once extraction activities are completed. Reclamation after disturbance of soils and vegetation associated with energy extraction is critical for ecosystem function and is required by law. Weedy annual species often dominate reclamation sites for the short-term, competing for resources with newly-seeded desirable vegetation. Our objectives were to: 1) evaluate herbicide effects on weedy and desirable species, 2) determine the effect of treatment timing (herbicide and seeding) on reclamation success, and 3) evaluate the performance of different species and seed mixes. Fifteen herbicide treatments and ten seed mixes were applied in a split-plot design to three sites in Wyoming to evaluate effectiveness of different reclamation practices. Most herbicide treatments targeted broadleaved weeds with the substitution of two treatments targeting annual grasses at one site. Seeding treatments were applied at two timings (fall, spring) across herbicide treatments to investigate establishment rates of specific species under different seeding times. Three years after treatment, herbicide impacts on annual forbs varied by seeded species at two of the three sites (p<0.05). At the third site, herbicide and seed mix reduced annual forb cover independently (p<0.05). Annual grass cover differed among seeded species (p<0.05), suggesting variable competition among desirable species. Establishment of seeded species differed across sites and species (p<0.0001). Season of treatment was important for both herbicide and seeding. Species with the greatest cover, biomass, and weed control included crested wheatgrass and Russian wildrye, followed by basin wildrye and western wheatgrass. The most effective herbicides included aminocychlopyrachlor products at various rates and timings.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Sacramento, CA
Collection
SRM Annual Meeting Abstracts