The Role of Fourwing Saltbush in Mined Land Reclamation: A Viewpoint
Author
Booth, D. T.Issue Date
1985-11-01Keywords
pioneer speciesmined soils
plant ecology
reclamation
ecological succession
Atriplex canescens
Wyoming
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Booth, D. T. (1985). The role of fourwing saltbush in mined land reclamation: A viewpoint. Journal of Range Management, 38(6), 562-565.Publisher
Society for Range ManagementJournal
Journal of Range ManagementDOI
10.2307/3899755Additional Links
https://rangelands.org/Abstract
Ease of establishment by direct seeding has resulted in fourwing saltbush [Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt.] becoming the principal, sometimes the only, shrub on certain revegetated mined lands in Wyoming. To prevent dense stands that might exclude other shrub species, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality-Land Quality Division, now limits the amount of fourwing saltbush that can be included in a reclamation seed mix. There is evidence that fourwing saltbush may aid, rather than hinder, the establishment of other shrubs. A thesis is developed for fourwing's role as a pioneer species that creates ecosystem diversity, auguments the invasion of late-succession plants, and declines in density as succession progresses. The shrub is recommended as a means to direct succession toward successful reclamation. Mine managers are cautioned that the rate of natural invasion of climax species into seeded stands of fourwing saltbush is not known.Type
textArticle
Language
enISSN
0022-409Xae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.2307/3899755