Great Basin Naturalist
Abstract
Efforts to reclaim amended and raw bentonite spoils with six plant species (two forbs, three shrubs, and one tree) were evaluated over a 4-year period. Plant species included fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens [Pursh] Nutt.), big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata tridentata Nutt.), Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum Sarg.), Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.) common yarrow (Achillea millifolium L.) and scarlet globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea [Pursh] Rydb.). Spoil treatments included addition of gypsum, sawdust, perlite, straw, and vermiculite; the control treatment was amended. Fourwing saltbush had 52% survival across all spoil treatments, with greatest survival occurring on perlite-treated spoil (80%), followed by gypsum (70%) and vermiculite amendments (70%). Survival of other plant species ranged from 0 to 2% averaged across all treatments after 4 years. No differences in plant survival occurred among amendments when all species were considered.
Recommended Citation
Uresk, Daniel W. and Yamamoto, Teruo
(1994)
"Field study of plant survival as affected by amendments to bentonite spoil,"
Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 54:
No.
2, Article 8.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol54/iss2/8