Abstract
Establishing vegetation on roadsides following construction can be challenging, especially for relatively slow growing native species. Topsoil is generally removed during construction, and the surface soil following construction (“cut-slope soils”) is often compacted and low in nutrients, providing poor growing conditions for vegetation. Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) protocols have historically called for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization when planting roadside vegetation following construction, but these recommendations were developed for cool-season grass plantings and most current plantings use slower-establishing, native warm-season grasses that may benefit less than expected from current planting protocols. We evaluated the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization, and also topsoil amendment, on the foliar cover of seeded and non-seeded species planted into two post-construction roadside sites in eastern Nebraska. We also examined soil movement to determine how planting protocols and plant growth may affect erosion potential. Three years after planting, we found no consistent effects of N or P fertilization on foliar cover. Plots receiving topsoil amendment had 14% greater cover of warm-season grasses, 10% greater total foliar cover, and 4–13% lower bare ground (depending on site) than plots without topsoil. None of the treatments consistently affected soil movement. We recommend that NDOT change their protocols to remove N and P fertilization and focus on stockpiling and spreading topsoil following construction.
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Acknowledgements
We thank NDOT- Materials and Research Division for funding this project, NDOT District 1 for providing land and maintenance staff for site preparation and traffic control during project installation, Jason Henderson and Green Thumb LLC for installation of this project, and the staff, graduate and undergraduate students from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for assisting with data collection.
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This study was funded by Nebraska Department of Transportation RHE-1 (Fertilizer Effects on Attaining Vegetation Requirements). Carol Wienhold is employed by Nebraska Department of Transportation.
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Hillhouse, H.L., Schacht, W.H., Soper, J.M. et al. Effects of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilizer and Topsoil Amendment on Native Plant Cover in Roadside Revegetation Projects. Environmental Management 61, 147–154 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-017-0946-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-017-0946-9