Abstract
Recently the value of roadside vegetation as habitat for pollinators has gained increased attention, particularly in areas dominated by agriculture where there is little native vegetation available. However, many factors, including safety, cost, public perception, erosion control, and weedy plants must be considered when managing roadside vegetation. Although their decisions influence thousands of hectares of public rights-of-way, how engineers and roadside managers maintain roadside vegetation has been the subject of little research. In this study, we surveyed county engineers and roadside managers who manage vegetation along secondary roads in Iowa, USA to assess how they maintain roadside vegetation. Some counties employ roadside managers, who often have an environmental sciences background, to implement the on-the-ground management of roadside vegetation, while some counties use other staff. Compared to engineers, roadside managers more strongly agreed that using the ecological principles of integrated roadside vegetation management (IRVM) provided environmental benefits. Engineers in counties with a roadside manager more strongly agreed that IRVM practices reduce the spread of invasive species and provide attractive roadsides. Both engineers and roadside managers mentioned challenges to managing roadside vegetation, including interference with some native plantings by adjacent landowners, and ranked safety and soil erosion concerns as the highest priorities when making decisions. Four in ten roadside managers said their counties had protected native plant community remnants on secondary roadsides. Our findings can inform conservation outreach efforts to those responsible for managing roadside vegetation, and emphasize the importance of addressing safety and soil erosion concerns in roadside research and communications.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
All of our data support our published claims and comply with field standards.
Material Availability
All of our materials support our published claims and comply with field standards.
References
Barak RS, Ma Z, Brudvig LA, Havens K (2021) Factors influencing seed mix design for prairie restoration. Restor Ecol https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13581
Barton S, Schwetz G, Drake R (2005) Enhancing Delaware highways: Delaware Department of Transportation roadside vegetation concept and planning manual. https://deldot.gov/Publications/manuals/edh/index.shtml?dc=edhCPM
Boger A, Ahiablame L (2019) Characterization of nutrient and metal leaching in roadside ditches maintained with cool and warm season grasses. Hydrology 6(2):47. https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology6020047
Brandt J, Henderson K, Uthe J, Urice M (2015) Integrated roadside vegetation management—technical manual. USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service and Iowa DOT’s Living Roadway Trust Fund. https://scholarworks.uni.edu/facbook/116/
Buchanan BP, Falbo K, Schneider RL, Easton ZM, Walter MT (2013) Hydrological impact of roadside ditches in an agricultural watershed in Central New York: implications for non-point source pollutant transport. Hydrol Proc 27(17):2422–2437. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.9305
Campanelli J, Kuzovkina YA, Ricard RM, Schulthess CP (2019) Attitudes toward and adoption of roadside revegetation using native plants by departments of transportation in New England states. Nativ Plants J 20:31–46. https://doi.org/10.3368/npj.20.1.31.
de Leeuw E, Berzelak N (2016) Survey mode or survey modes? In: Wolf C, Joye D, Smith TW, Fu Y-C (eds) The sage handbook of survey methodology. Sage Publications, London, p 142–156
de Leeuw ED (2018) Mixed-mode: past, present, and future. Sur Res Methods 12(2):75–89. https://doi.org/10.18148/srm/2018.v12i2.7402
Depalma D, Lacortez M, Zilli C, Charnelli E, Mermoz M (2022) Roadsides are key habitats for birds in the Argentine Pampas: conservation and management implications. Environ Conserv 49(1):59–64. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892921000424
Eck RW, McGee HW (2008) Vegetation control for safety: a guide for local highway and street maintenance personnel. FHWA report. https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/local_rural/training/fhwasa07018/.
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) (2017) Roadside revegetation: an integrated approach to establishing native plants and pollinator habitat. http://nativerevegetation.org/learn/manual_2017/
Forman RTT, Sperling D, Bissonette JA, Clevenger AP, Cutshall CD, Dale VH, Fahrig L, France R, Goldman CR, Heanue K, Jones JA, Swanson FJ, Turrentine T, Winter TC (2003) Road ecology: science and solutions. Island Press, Washington DC, USA
Forman RTT, Alexander LE (1998) Roads and their major ecological effects. Rev Ecol Syst 29:207–231. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.29.1.207
Funderburg E (2001) What does organic matter do in soil?. Noble Research Institute, Adrmore, Oklahoma, USA, https://www.noble.org/news/publications/ag-news-and-views/2001/august/what-does-organic-matter-do-in-soil/
Gardiner MM, Riley CB, Bommarco R, Öckinger E (2018) Rights-of-way: a potential conservation resource. Front Ecol Environ 16(3):149–158. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.1778
Gray DH, Sotir RB (1996) Biotechnical and soil bioengineering slope stabilization: a practical guide for erosion control. John Wiley and Sons
Guyton J, Jones J, Entsminger E (2014) Alternative mowing regimes’ influence on native plants and deer. FHWA/MDOT-RD-14-228. http://hdl.handle.net/11668/14195
Harper-Lore BL, Johnson M, Skinner MW (eds) (2008) Roadside weed management. United States Department of Transportation.
Harrison G (2014) Economic impact of ecosystem services provided by ecologically sustainable roadside right of way vegetation management practices. Florida Department of Transportation, General Technical Report. 35. https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/27198
Hillhouse HL, Schacht WH, Soper JM, Wienhold CE (2018) Effects of nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizer and topsoil amendment on native plant cover in roadside revegetation projects. Environ Manag 61:147–154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-017-0946-9
Hopwood J, Black S, Fleury S (2015) Roadside best management practices that benefit pollinators: handbook for supporting pollinators through roadside maintenance and landscape design. Federal Highway Administration, Washington DC, https://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/env_topics/ecosystems/Pollinators_Roadsides/BMPs_pollinators_landscapes.aspx
Huijser MP, McGowen P, Fuller J, Hardy A, Kociolek A, Clevenger AP, Smith D, Ament R (2008) Wildlife-vehicle collision reduction study: report to Congress. DTFH61-05-D-00018
Iowa Association of County Conservation Boards (2008) Iowa Association of County Conservation Boards Board Member Handbook. https://www.mycountyparks.org/uploads/1/0/6/7/106716567/handbook_-_current_edition.pdf
Jakobsson S, Bernes C, Bullock JM, Verheyen K, Lindborg R (2018) How does roadside vegetation management affect the diversity of vascular plants and invertebrates? A systematic review. Environ Evid 7:17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-018-0129-z
Johnson County (2006) Johnson County Native Plant Community Policy, Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management. https://www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-10/Native_Plant_Community_Policy.pdf
Kaul AD, Wilsey BJ (2019) Monarch butterfly host plant (milkweed Asclepias spp.) abundance varies by habitat type across 98 prairies. Restor Ecol 27:1274–1281. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.12993
Keilsohn W, Narango DL, Tallamy DW (2018) Roadside habitat impacts insect traffic mortality. J Insect Conserv 22:183–188. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-018-0051-2
Knight SM, Norris DR, Derbyshire R, Flockhart DTT (2019) Strategic mowing of roadside milkweeds increases monarch butterfly oviposition. Glob Ecol Conserv 19:e00678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00678
Li C, Veum KS, Goyne KW, Nunes MR, Acosta-Martinez V (2021) A chronosequence of soil health under tallgrass prairie reconstructions. Appl Soil Ecol 164:103939
Liu T, Bruins RJF, Heberling MT (2018) Factors influencing farmers’ adoption of best practices: a review and synthesis. Sustainability 10(2):432. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10020432
Loades KW, Bengough AG, Bransby MF, Hallett PD (2010) Planting density influence on fibrous root reinforcement of soils. Ecol Eng 36:276–284
Marsh AS, Hayes DC, Klein PN, Zimmerman N, Dalsimer A, Burkett DA, Huebner CD, Rabaglia R, Meyerson LA, Harper-Lore BL, Davidson JL, Emery MR, Warziniack T, Flitcroft R, Kerns BK, Lopez VM (2021) Sectoral impacts of invasive species in the United States and approaches to management. p. 203-209 in Poland TM, Patel-Weynand T, Finch DM, Miniat CF, Hayes DC, Lopez VM, eds. Invasive Species in Forests and Rangelands of the United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45367-1_9
McKenna D, McKenna K, Malcom SBBerenbaum MR,(2001) Mortality of Lepidoptera along roadways in central Illinois J Lepid Soc 55:63–68. https://experts.illinois.edu/en/publications/mortality-of-lepidoptera-along-roadways-in-central-illinois
Meissen JC, Glidden AJ, Sherrard ME, Elgersma KJ, Jackson LL (2020) Seed mix design and first year management influence multifunctionality and cost-effectiveness in prairie reconstruction. Restor Ecol 28:807–816. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13013
Meyer NE (2010) From local to regional: evolution of three multi-use trails in Northeast Iowa. Master’s thesis. Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
Minnesota DOT (2008) Best practices handbook for roadside vegetation management 2008-20. https://www.lrrb.org/pdf/200820.pdf
Mok J-H, Landphair HC, Naderi JR (2006) Landscape improvement impacts on roadside safety in Texas. Landsc Urban Plan 78:263–274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2005.09.002
Nemec K, Stephenson A, Aizpurua Gonzalez E, Losch M (2021) Local decision-makers’ perspectives on roadside revegetation and management in Iowa, USA. Environ Manag https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-021-01448-z
New TR, Sands DPA, Taylor GS (2021) Roles of roadside vegetation in insect conservation in Australia. Austral Ent 60:128–137. https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12511
Norcini JG (2014) Madison County Energy Conservation Study 2012-2013 Survey of Roadside Vegetation. Final Report to Florida Department of Transportation. Available: http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51400/51440/FDOT-PR6365252-rpt.pdf.
Phillips BB, Wallace C, Roberts BR, Whitehouse AT, Gaston KJ, Bullock JM, Dicks LV, Osborne JL (2020) Enhancing road verges to aid pollinator conservation: a review. Biol Conserv 250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108687
Prusnenski JM, Hernández DL (2020) White-tailed deer in tallgrass prairie: novel densities of a native herbivore in managed ecosystems. Nat Areas J 40:101–110. https://doi.org/10.3375/043.040.0112
Rahardjo H, Satyanaga A, Leong EC, Santoso VA, Ng YS (2014) Performance of an instrumented slope covered with shrubs and deep-rooted grass. Soils Found 54:417–425
Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group (2022) Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group website. https://rightofway.erc.uic.edu
Roberton B, Rebar D (2022) Timing of prescribed burns impacts plant diversity but not investment in pollinator recruitment in a tallgrass prairie. Ecosphere 13:e914. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3914
Rowe HI (2010) Tricks of the trade: techniques and opinions from 38 experts in tallgrass prairie restoration. 18:253-262. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-100X.2010.00663.x
Schilling KE, Streeter MT, Clair MS, Meissen J (2018) Subsurface nutrient processing capacity in agricultural roadside ditches. Sci Total Environ 637-638:470–479
Searles L (2017) Final report: the 2016-2017 roadside vegetation survey of Scott County, Iowa
Smith D (2004) Native roadside vegetation center: the Iowa model. p. 149-156 in Keammerer, WR, Todd, J. eds. Proceedings High Altitude Revegetation Workshop No. 16. http://hdl.handle.net/10217/4190
Snow NP, Zhang Z, Finley AO, Rudolph BA, Porter WF, Williams DM, Winterstein SR (2018) Regional-based mitigation to reduce wildlife–vehicle collisions. J Wildl Manag 82:756–765. https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.21420
Spooner PG (2015) Minor rural road networks: values, challenges, and opportunities for biodiversity conservation. Nat Cons 11:129–142. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.11.4434
Stephenson A, Losch M (2016) Managing Iowa’s rights-of-way: a survey of county engineers and roadside vegetation managers. 53pp
Steidle JM, Kimmich T, Csader M, Betz O (2022) Negative impact of roadside mowing on arthropod fauna and its reduction with ‘arthropod-friendly’ mowing technique. J Appl Entomol Early View. https://doi.org/10.1111/jen.12976
Stokes A et al. (2009) Desirable plant root traits for protecting natural and engineered slopes against landslides. Plant Soil 324:1–30
Thiffault P, Bergeron J (2003) Monotony of road environment and driver fatigue: a simulator study. Accid Anal Prev 35:381–391
Underwood E, Darwin G, Gerritsen E (2017) Pollinator initiatives in EU member states: success factors and gaps. Report for European Commission under contract for provision of technical support related to Target 2 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020—maintaining and restoring ecosystems and their services ENV.B.2/SER/2016/0018. Institute for European Environmental Policy, Brussels. https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/conservation/species/pollinators/documents/ieep_2017_pollinator_initiatives_in_eu_member_states.pdf
Van Dyke CV, Wallace C, Kreis D (2021) Economic and environmental benefits of a reduce roadside mowing program for Kentucky highways. Kentucky Transportation Center research report KTC-21-07/SPR20-590-1F
Wigginton SK, Meyerson LA (2018) Passive roadside restoration reduces management costs and fosters native habitat. Ecol Rest 36:41–51. https://doi.org/10.3368/er.36.1.41
Acknowledgements
We thank the Iowa Department of Transportation’s LRTF (Project 90-00-LR16-211) for funding this study. We also thank the county engineers and county roadside vegetation managers who contributed their time and opinions. We thank colleagues who reviewed earlier drafts of the paper.
Funding
Iowa Department of Transportation’s LRTF (Project 90-00-LR16-211).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Consent to Participate
Each participant was provided a letter stating that “The purpose of this study is to better understand how to successfully implement IRVM activities. We ask that you please complete the following questionnaire which includes items regarding IRVM and your county’s management of rights-of-way. The questionnaire should take 10–15 min to complete and you are free to skip any question you would prefer not to answer by selecting “prefer not to respond.” Participation is voluntary and your responses will be kept confidential. In reporting, no identifying information will be stored with your responses. There are no direct benefits for participating; however, your participation in the study is very important to us as your answers will be combined with others to better understand roadside vegetation management in Iowa. Risks are minimal and similar to those typically encountered in day-to-day life.”
Ethics Approval
The study was approved by the university institutional review board (IRB) and was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Additional information
Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary information
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nemec, K., Stephenson, A. & Losch, M. How Engineers and Roadside Vegetation Managers Maintain Roadside Vegetation in Iowa, USA. Environmental Management 70, 593–604 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-022-01683-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-022-01683-y