The influence of rolled erosion control systems on soil moisture content and biomass production: part II. A greenhouse experiment

✍ Scribed by R. A. Sutherland; T. Menard; J. L. Perry

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 242 KB
• Volume: 9
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1085-3278
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-145x(199805/06)9:3<217::aid-ldr275>3.0.co;2-s

✦ Synopsis

A controlled greenhouse experiment conducted under high shortwave radiation ¯ux explored the relationship between seven rolled erosion control systems (RECS) and a bare control treatment on soil moisture content (SMC), ryegrass yield, and ryegrass nutrient assimilation. All RECS conserved more moisture in the soil pro®le than the bare treatment. But, dierences between RECS occurred. Geojute was the poorest performer, with mean SMC values commonly 18±30 per cent lower than the other RECS studied; and under drought-induced conditions SMC values were up 22±45 per cent lower than the other systems. Ryegrass yields varied with surface cover, with statistical testing indicating that the bare, Geojute 1 and P300 1 treatments were not signi®cantly dierent. However, the remaining RECS (Futerra 1 , BioD-Mat 2 70 1 , C125 1 , SC150BN 1 and Curlex 1 I) had signi®cantly higher ryegrass yields, with Curlex I 1 being 25 per cent higher than its nearest competitor, SC150BN 1 . Ryegrass nutrient concentrations of nitrogen and sulfur were generally similar between rolled erosion control treatments, and no measured macronutrient was considered to be de®cient. This information coupled with correlation analysis indicated that the soil thermal regime was the most important limiting factor on biomass production. Additionally, of all variables examined by stepwise regression (microclimate and cardinal properties of RECS) only surface albedo (shortwave re¯ectivity) was signi®cantly related with ryegrass yield. Closer attention needs to be given to the three-dimensionality of rolled erosion control ®bers, and their radiative properties if designers are interested in maximizing biomass production from slopes covered by RECS in subtropical/tropical and semiarid environments.