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Title: AN ECONOMICALLY SUSTAINABLE RIPARIAN BUFFER TO PROMOTE BANK STABILITY AND REDUCE PHOSPHORUS LOSS IN THE LOESS HILLS

Author
item KELLY, J - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item Burkart, Michael
item Kovar, John
item Moorman, Thomas
item Logsdon, Sally

Submitted to: American Society of Agronomy
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/14/2002
Publication Date: 11/14/2002
Citation: KELLY, J.M., BURKART, M.R., KOVAR, J.L., MOORMAN, T.B., LOGSDON, S.D. AN ECONOMICALLY SUSTAINABLE RIPARIAN BUFFER TO PROMOTE BANK STABILITY AND REDUCE PHOSPHORUS LOSS IN THE LOESS HILLS. AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AGRONOMY. 2002. CD-ROM. MADISON, WI.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Until recently, little information has been collected on the ability of streamside vegetation to retain or slow the movement of P. The objective of this study is to determine the suitability of a buffer strip containing high value timber species, rapidly growing nurse trees, and harvestable grasses as a means to capture and export excess P from a loess based hydrologic source area. The buffer, composed of parallel strips of cottonwood and walnut trees, smooth brome, and switchgrass was established in the spring of 2001. At the end of the 2001 growing season, biomass and soil samples were collected from each cover type. After one growing season, total biomass in g/m2 for each cover type was walnut(132), cottonwood (305), switchgrass (737), and smooth brome (2014). Total root surface area ranged from 4 (walnut) to 83 m2/m3 (smooth brome). Exchangeable soil p levels in the 0 to 4-cm layer ranged from 49 (switchgrass) to 55 (smooth brome) mg/kg. At 15-30 cm exchangeable and total P values did not significantly differ with cover type and averaged 22 and 829 mg/kg respectively. Plant P content will also be discussed.