Loading…

Perennial grass management impacts on runoff and sediment export from vegetated channels in pulse flow runoff events

The goal of the United States Congress is to replace 30% of United States petroleum with biofuels by 2030. If this goal will be accomplished, it is estimated that 25–50% of the land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) have its biomass removed. However, the purpose of many conservation...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biomass & bioenergy 2011, Vol.35 (1), p.429-436
Main Authors: Wilson, H.M., Cruse, R.M., Burras, C.L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The goal of the United States Congress is to replace 30% of United States petroleum with biofuels by 2030. If this goal will be accomplished, it is estimated that 25–50% of the land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) have its biomass removed. However, the purpose of many conservation practices enrolled in CRP is to improve or maintain water quality and not to serve as a source of biomass. This study was conducted to determine if biomass removal has an effect on runoff and sediment export from vegetated channels during low intensity storms that occur frequently. In June 2006, 24 channels were created that measured 2 m × 10 m. The treatments of grass species (big bluestem, corn, smooth bromegrass, and switchgrass) and biomass removal (removed, not removed) were applied to the channels in a split-plot arrangement. Three times in 2007 and 3 more times in 2008, a 787 L load of water with suspended sediment was drained on the head and sides of each experimental unit and the entire load of water that ran off was collected, weighed, and sampled for sediment concentration. Biomass removal increased runoff and sediment by an average of 15% over the two years of the study. The channels planted to perennial C4 grasses were most effective at reducing runoff and sediment export, while the corn was consistently the least effective at reducing runoff and sediment export.
ISSN:0961-9534
1873-2909
DOI:10.1016/j.biombioe.2010.08.059