Initial Plant Growth in Sand Mine Spoil Amended with Organic Materials

Sand dunes in the Great Lakes Basin are ecologically and economically important. One economic value of sand dunes is sand mining. However, sand mining activities reduce soil quality which represents an impediment to reclamation efforts. Soil quality improvements followed by revegetation may be necessary for successful reclamation. This study evaluates the germination and initial growth of two legume species, wild lupine (Lupinus perennis) and Illinois bundleflower (Desmanthus illinoensis), and two warm-season grass species, Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), in the presence of three soil amendments (coco peat, municipal sewage sludge, and sphagnum peat moss) added to spoil from a local sand mine. Species were grown in pots and propagated under greenhouse conditions. Our results indicate that lupine and Illinois bundleflower exhibited the greatest germination and growth and are recommended as potential candidates for the reclamation of sand mines. Indian grass and little bluestem exhibited low rates of germination and growth. Among spoil amendments, we recommend coco peat based on germination and root, shoot, and total biomass results. Peat moss also exhibited increased rates of germination and growth. We did not observe any germination success for seeds sown in sewage sludge amended spoil. The lack of germination in the sewage sludge amendment may be due to a combination of unfavorable abiotic and biotic soil conditions such as electrical conductivity, pH, or soil microbial activity. Our results are helpful in determining which species and amendment combinations are useful candidates for revegetating former sand mines or similar habitats

Initial Plant Growth in Sand Mine Spoil Amended with Peat Moss and Fertilizer Under Greenhouse Conditions: Potential Species for Use in Reclamation

The Great Lakes Basin exhibits the largest collection of freshwater sand dunes in the world. Sand dunes are ecologically important and support a unique assemblage of flora and fauna. Sand dunes are also economically valuable. However, when sand dunes are mined, soil quality is drastically reduced. Therefore, soil quality improvements followed by revegetation maybe necessary for successful reclamation. This study evaluates the germination and initial growth of 2 legume species, sundial lupine (Lupinus perennis) and Illinois bundleflower (Desmanthus illinoensis), and 2 warm-season grass species, Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), in the presence of 2 soil amendments (inorganic fertilizer and sphagnum peat moss) added to spoil from a local sand mine. We sowed species in pots and propagated them under greenhouse conditions. Results indicate that sundial lupine and Illinois bundleflower exhibited the greatest germination and growth among species. Peat moss had the greatest overall impact on germination and growth while the addition of fertilizer positively affected initial growth. Based on these results, sundial lupine is recognized as a primary candidate for sand mine reclamation, while Illinois bundleflower is also recommended as an appropriate species for revegetation efforts. We recommend using soil amendments that are functionally equivalent to peat in increasing soil water holding capacity. We further suggest that fertilization may be accomplished by including legumes in plant species mixes used for revegetation. Results presented here may help to identify appropriate species and soil amendments for the reclamation of former sand mines or restoration of freshwater sand dunes

The Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer Survey of OVI Absorption in the Disk of the Milky Way

To probe the distribution and physical characteristics of interstellar gas at temperatures T ~ 3e5 K in the disk of the Milky Way, we have used the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) to observe absorption lines of OVI toward 148 early-type stars situated at distances 1 kpc. After subtracting off a mild excess of OVI arising from the Local Bubble, combining our new results with earlier surveys of OVI, and eliminating stars that show conspicuous localized X-ray emission, we find an average OVI mid-plane density n_0 = 1.3e-8 cm^-3. The density decreases away from the plane of the Galaxy in a way that is consistent with an exponential scale height of 3.2 kpc at negative latitudes or 4.6 kpc at positive latitudes. Average volume densities of OVI along different sight lines exhibit a dispersion of about 0.26 dex, irrespective of the distances to the target stars. This indicates that OVI does not arise in randomly situated clouds of a fixed size and density, but instead is distributed in regions that have a very broad range of column densities, with the more strongly absorbing clouds having a lower space density. Line widths and centroid velocities are much larger than those expected from differential Galactic rotation, but they are nevertheless correlated with distance and N(OVI), which reinforces our picture of a diverse population of hot plasma regions that are ubiquitous over the entire Galactic disk. The velocity extremes of the OVI profiles show a loose correlation with those of very strong lines of less ionized species, supporting a picture of a turbulent, multiphase medium churned by shock-heated gas from multiple supernova explosions.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJS. Preprint with full resolution images and all 148 spectra available at http://www.astro.princeton.edu/~dvb/o

Results of variable grass seeding rates on community development in a sand prairie restoration experiment in the Manistee National Forest, Michigan

Sand prairie was a primary component of Michigans historic oak-pine barrens ecosystem. However, sand prairie has been all but eliminated in the state. Our restoration experiment, established in 2009 in the Manistee National Forest, examines the influence of variable seeding rates of warm season grasses on plant community development. Initial results show that high grass seeding rates (10,000 seeds/m2) have had a positive impact on plant community development by increasing native species cover, richness, and diversity while also decreasing non-native species cover, richness, and diversity. Data from July 2013 will also be evaluated to determine if the positive impacts of this methodology are sustained. Results from this study can be used to elucidate ecologically successful and economically efficient seeding approaches in plant community restoration

The initial phase of a longleaf pine-wiregrass savanna restoration: species establishment and community onses rger, munit iterra

Abstract The significant loss of the longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem in the southeastern United States has serious implications for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In response to this loss, we have initiated a long-term and landscape-scale restoration experiment at the 80,125 h

The initial phase of a Longleaf Pine-Wiregrass Savanna restoration: species establishment and community responses.

AbstractAbstract The significant loss of the longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem in the southeastern United States has serious implications for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In response to this loss, we have initiated a long-term and landscape-scale restoration experiment at the 80,125 ha (310 mi2) Department of Energy Savannah River Site (SRS) located near Aiken, South Carolina. Aristida beyrichiana (wiregrass), an important and dominant grass (i.e., a “matrix” species) of the longleaf pine savanna understory, and 31 other herbaceous “non-matrix” species were planted at six locations throughout SRS in 2002 and 2003. Of the 36,056 transplanted seedlings, 75% were still alive in June 2004, while mean 1–2 year survival across all planted species was 48%. Lespedeza hirta (hairy lespedeza) exhibited the greatest overall survival per 3 ×3 m cell at 95%, whereas Schizachyrium spp. (little bluestem) exhibited the greatest mean cover among individual species at 5.9%. Wiregrass survival and cover were significantly reduced when planted with non-matrix species. Aggregate cover of all planted species in restored cells averaged 25.9% in 2006. High rates of survival and growth of the planted species resulted in greater species richness (SR), diversity, and vegetative cover in restored cells. Results suggest that the loss of the longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem may be ameliorated through restoration efforts and illustrate the positive impact of restoration plantings on biodiversity and vegetative cover