Soil Chemical Analysis

Poorly maintained BMPs can result in significant quantities of sediment being discharged to storm drains. Uncontrolled stormwater runoff from construction sites can significantly impact rivers, lakes and estuaries. Sediment in waterbodies from construction sites can reduce the amount of sunlight reaching aquatic plants, clog fish gills, smother aquatic habitat and spawning areas, and impede navigation.

US Environmental Protection Agency

The effects of compost incorporation on soil physical properties in urban soils - A concise review.

Soil erosion is increasingly recognised as the principal cause of land degradation, loss of agricultural land area and siltation of surrounding water waterbodies. Accurate and up-to-date soil erosion mapping is key in understanding its severity if these negative impacts are to be minimised and affected areas rehabilitated. The aim of this work was to map the severity of soil erosion, based on the 30-m Landsat series multispectral satellite data in the former South African homelands of Transkei between the year 1994 and 2010. Further, the study assessed if the observed soil erosion trends and morphology that existed in this area could be explained by biophysical factors (i.e. slope, stream erosivity, topographic wetness index) retrieved from the 30-m ASTER Digital Elevation Model (DEM). The results of this study indicate that the Transkei region experiences varying erosion levels from moderate to very severe. The large portion of the land area under the former homelands was largely affected by rill erosion with approximately 74% occurring in the year 1984 and 54% in 2010. The results also revealed specific thresholds of soil erosion drivers. These include steeper areas (≥30°), high stream power index greater than 2.0 (stream erosivity), relatively lower vegetation cover (≤15%) and low topographic wetness index (≤5%). The results of this work demonstrate the severity of soil erosion in the Southern African former homelands of Transkei for the year 1984 and 2010. Additionally, this work has demonstrated the significance of the 30-m Landsat multispectral sensor in examining soil erosion occurrence at a regional scale where in-depth field work still remains a challenging task.

Assessing and mapping the severity of soil erosion using the 30-m Landsat multispectral satellite data in the former South African homelands of Transkei

Soil slopes constructed in southern China are susceptible to serious erosion due to substrate characteristics and high precipitation, which is commonly mitigated by revegetation. Ferns are potentially useful for erosion control due to their dense plant cover and adaptation to slopes. However, information regarding the effectiveness of ferns in erosion control is scarce. This study assessed the erosion-reducing potential of recently planted ferns on slopes. Five native fern species of southern China, namely, Blechnum orientale , Cyclosorus parasiticus , Dicranopteris pedata , Nephrolepis auriculata and Pteris vittata , were chosen for the assessment. Each fern species was grown to reach two levels of cover (40% and 80%) in 1.0 × 0.5 m 2 soil boxes tilted to 50°, and boxes with bare soil acted as the control. The erosion control performance was tested using a rainfall simulator, which provided a rainfall intensity of 100 mm h − 1 to reflect a heavy rainstorm event. Various plant traits were examined to explore their roles in reducing erosion. The results demonstrated that both cover and plant traits have significant effects on the erosion-reducing potential of ferns. The high cover of ferns (80%) could reduce the runoff volume by 65.0% and sediment loss by 96.1% compared with the control. The leaf area index (LAI), root area ratio (RAR) and root density (RD) were highly correlated with erosion-reducing potential. Among species, N. auriculata outperformed the other species by having stronger performance of these plant traits. To confirm the results further, more field experimentation and comparisons of ferns and grasses in mitigating runoff and sediment loss on soil slopes are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of ferns in erosion control under in situ conditions.

Fern cover and the importance of plant traits in reducing erosion on steep soil slopes

Soil erosion is considered the biggest contributor to nonpoint source pollution in the United States according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the federally mandated National Pollution Discharge Elimination System. Soil loss rates from construction sites can be 10 to 20 times that of agricultural lands. The use of surface applied organic amendments has been shown to reduce runoff and erosion, however, with the exception of animal manure, little research has focused on nutrient loss from these amendments. Four types of compost blankets, hydroseed, silt fence, and a bare soil (control) were applied in field test plots. Treatments were seeded with common bermuda grass. A rainfall simulator applied rainfall at an average rate equivalent to a 50 yr hr -1 storm event (7.75 cm hr -1 ). Three simulated rain events were conducted: immediately after treatment application, at three months when vegetation was established, and at one year when the vegetation was mature. After three months, the compost generated five times less runoff than hydroseed with silt fence, and after one year, generated 24 percent less runoff. All treatments proved better than the control at reducing solids loss. Total solid loads were as much as 3.5 times greater from hydroseed and silt fence compared to the composts during the first storm, and as much as 16 times greater during the second storm. Materials high in inorganic nitrogen (N) released greater amounts of nitrogen in storm runoff; however, these materials showed reduced N loss over time. Hydroseeding generated significantly higher total phosphorus (P) and dissolved reactive P loads compared to compost in storm runoff during the first storm event.

Evaluation of stormwater from compost and conventional erosion control practices in construction activities

Soil erosion is one of the biggest contributors to nonpoint source pollution in the United States. Soil loss rates from construction sites are 10 to 20 times that of agricultural lands. The use of surface applied organic amendments has been shown to reduce runoff and erosion through enhanced vegetation growth and soil quality characteristics. The objective of this study was to evaluate the vegetation growth and soil quality effects from compost blanket and hydroseed applications to soils disturbed by construction activities. Four types of compost blankets, two hydroseeded treatments (silt fence and mulch filter berm) and a bare soil (control) were applied in field test plots. Treatments were seeded with common Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon). Vegetative growth (percent cover and biomass of weeds and grasses) and soil quality characteristics were evaluated periodically over one year and 18 months, respectively. Results showed compost blankets provided an average of 2.75 times more vegetative cover than hydroseed after three months. After one year, cover was similar, but hydroseed had significantly greater weed biomass than compost and a greater ratio of weed biomass relative to Bermuda grass biomass. One type of compost blanket increased surface soil extractable organic carbon, and another type increased organic matter in 0 to15 cm (0 to 6 in) soil depths relative to hydroseed treated soils. A one-time application of hydroseed that included mineral phosphorus (P) fertilizer elevated surface soil P after 18 months. On construction sites where disturbed soils are prone to erosion and vegetation establishment is required, compost applications will promote quicker vegetation cover with less weed growth than hydroseeding. Some compost erosion control blankets have the ability to increase soil quality characteristics relative to hydroseed applications within 18 months of application.

Vegetation and soil quality effects from hydroseed and compost blankets used for erosion control in construction activities

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Evaluation of stormwater from compost and conventional erosion control practices in construction activities

Vegetation and soil quality effects from hydroseed and compost blankets used for erosion control in construction activities