Evaluating the effectiveness of agricultural mulches for reducing post-wildfire wind erosion

Robichaud, Peter R.; Jennewein, Jyoti S.; Sharratt, Brenton; Lewis, Sarah A.; Brown, Robert E.

doi:10.1016/j.aeolia.2017.05.001

Cited by 14 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…deWolfe et al (2008) reported little sediment reaching their reservoir, which was the public drinking water supply for the city of Durango, Colorado. Another beneficial addition would be combining agricultural straw mulch with a secondary treatment of a tackifier to hold the straw in place, which has been studied in a wind tunnel experiment but not in field trials (Robichaud et al, 2017). Currently, other novel treatments, namely the use of geotextile tubular containers filled with organic residues and/or (techno-)soil (geotubes), are undergoing their first field trials in recently burnt areas from North-Central Portugal and NW Spain.…”

Section: Implications For Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of post-fire soil erosion mitigation treatments: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Girona-García

Vieira

Silva

et al. 2021

Earth-Science Reviews

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Section: Implications For Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of post-fire soil erosion mitigation treatments: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Girona-García

Vieira

Silva

et al. 2021

Earth-Science Reviews

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“…There are also potential negative effects from mulch. Some studies indicate that wheat straw mulch is susceptible to dislocation by wind (Robichaud et al, 2017), which can leave exposed slopes in some areas and deep piles of straw in other areas. Thick mulch layers may prevent sunlight from reaching the soil surface and physically obstruct emerging natural and seeded vegetation (Bautista et al, 2009;Beyers, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A clear advantage of these materials is that they are derived from forest materials and are less likely to carry nonnative seeds and/or agricultural chemical residues (Foltz and Dooley, 2003). In addition, laboratory studies have established that wood strands have greater resistance to wind displacement and longer persistence on-site as compared to agricultural straw (Copeland et al, 2009;Robichaud et al, 2013aRobichaud et al, , 2017. Furthermore, both wood strands and wood shreds provide equal or greater protection from erosion as compared to wheat straw mulch at equal areal coverage rates (Foltz and Dooley, 2003;Foltz and Wagenbrenner, 2010;Yanosek et al, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying long‐term post‐fire sediment delivery and erosion mitigation effectiveness

Robichaud

Lewis

Wagenbrenner

et al. 2019

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Large wildfires can have profound and lasting impacts not only from direct consumption of vegetation but also longer‐term effects such as persistent soil erosion. The 2002 Hayman Fire burned in one of the watersheds supplying water to the Denver metropolitan area; thus there was concern regarding hillslope erosion and sedimentation in the reservoirs. The efficacy of various treatments for reducing erosion was tested, including hand scarification on contour, agricultural straw mulch, wood mulch, burned controls and unburned reference plots. Simulated rill erosion experiments were used both immediately after the fire and again 10 years post fire. To better understand untreated recovery, the same experiments were applied to control plots in post‐fire years 1, 2, 3 and 4, and in unburned reference plots in years 4 and 10. Results indicate that control and scarified plots produced significantly greater sediment flux rates – 1.9 and 2.8 g s−1 respectively – than the straw and wood mulch treatments – 0.9 and 1.1 g s−1 – immediately after the fire. Mulch treatments reduced runoff rate, runoff velocity, and sediment concentration and flux rate. The straw mulch cover was no longer present, whereas the wood mulch was still there in year 10. Vegetation regrowth was slow and mulch treatments provided effective cover to reduce sediment right after the fire. In post‐fire year 10, there were no significant differences in sediment flux rates across treatments; it is notable, however, that the wood mulch treatment (0.09 g s−1) most closely approached the unburned condition (0.07 g s−1). The burned control plots had high sediment flux rates until post‐fire year 3, when flux rates significantly decreased and were statistically no longer higher than the unburned levels from year 4 and 10. These results will inform managers of the longer‐term post‐fire sediment delivery rates and of the ability of post‐fire emergency hillslope treatments to mitigate erosion rates. Published 2019. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

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“…Slope revegetation and erosion control are needed in an accelerated manner which requires additional technologies to the standard revegetation procedures to keep topsoil, seeds, seedlings, mulches, or any combination of these, in place throughout storm or other erosion events. Some remediation technologies exist in this category including: surfactant coated seed applications ( 25 ), seeded agricultural mulches ( 26 ), seeded straw mulching ( 27 ), and vegetated compost blankets ( 28 ). The proposed innovation, adding to the previous list, considered in this study is the use of a seeded MICP treatment.…”

Section: Statement Of the Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Microbial Biomineralization Surface Erosion Control Treatments on Vegetation and Revegetation along Highways

Hodges

Lingwall

2020

Transportation Research Record

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Microbial induced calcite precipitation (MICP) has been widely studied in laboratories to test changes to soil strength and density. Rarely studied is the biogeotechnology’s influence on real-world conditions. Consideration for the natural environment coexisting with treated soil is important, particularly vegetative responses to biochemical and physical changes from treatments. In this factorial designed study, vegetative response from one-time biochemical surficial treatments is observed in four soil growth mediums: two variants burned soil, unburned side slope construction soil, and Ottawa sand. Treatment objectives are to create a light crust that provides short-term erosion control, protects concurrently applied seeds and provides a beneficial plant environment (BPE). The crust creates a BPE through increased soil water retention and shear soil strength allowing better root and plant stability. An overly dense crust prevents root penetration and is avoided because established root systems are crucial in long-term erosion control. This study successfully created such a crust in all soil types treated. Also studied were influences of solution components on germination rates. Component influence proved highly dependent on soil type as calcium chloride inclusion was highly detrimental to seedling success in clean sand, somewhat detrimental to burned soil with ash layer, insignificant in unburned soil, and beneficial to burned soil without ash layer. These results give an indication of the complex biochemical soil reactions occurring from MICP treatment. This study gives evidence that a one-time application of a seeded biochemical solution has real-world potential as a balanced short-term and long-term erosion control technology for burned and construction soils.

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Evaluating the effectiveness of agricultural mulches for reducing post-wildfire wind erosion

Cited by 14 publications

References 35 publications

Effectiveness of post-fire soil erosion mitigation treatments: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Effectiveness of post-fire soil erosion mitigation treatments: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Quantifying long‐term post‐fire sediment delivery and erosion mitigation effectiveness

Effects of Microbial Biomineralization Surface Erosion Control Treatments on Vegetation and Revegetation along Highways

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