Compaction from construction activities contributes to reduced stormwater infiltration, greater surface runoff volume, and accelerated soil erosion. However, a promising solution lies in incorporating compost into these soils. This study explored the benefits of compost incorporation in mitigating soil compaction, promoting stormwater infiltration, and supporting erosion control vegetation cover. Additionally, we investigated the potential of compost and wildflowers as alternatives to chemical fertilizer and grass cover practices, respectively, for vegetation establishment. We tilled the upper 15 cm soil with/without 30% compost incorporation on a 10 % slope. Plots were then planted with grass, wildflowers, or grass-wildflower mixtures and compost, fertilizer, or a combination of the two. Compared to no-compost treatments, incorporated compost significantly enhanced infiltration rates (approximately 3-10X), although there was no variation between the three vegetation types. Drone imagery analysis in ArcGIS revealed that composted plots exhibited substantially higher vegetation cover (~80%) than no- compost treatments (~60%) after 3 months. Moreover, compost-fertilizer treatments demonstrated superior vegetation cover compared to fertilizer-only plots, although not surpassing compost-only treatments. This suggests that compost application alone can eliminate the need for additional fertilizer. Over time, the differences in vegetation cover between treatments diminished, with all treatments exhibiting similar high cover (90-95%) at 12 months, except for the control (no-compost-no-fertilizer). There were no significant differences between the vegetation types throughout the study period. This suggests that wildflowers are viable alternatives to grass cover in soil erosion control and may provide added benefits as pollinator habitats. Moreover, compost addition significantly reduced soil bulk density (20-30%), increased soil organic carbon (4-5 times), and improved moisture retention (10-30 %). Therefore, a 30 % Compost incorporation and wildflower introduction can establish sustainable urban landscapes that will mitigate environmental impacts by providing stormwater infiltration and erosion control covers.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this presentation, attendees will:
Understand the role of Compost Incorporation for Erosion control vegetation cover establishment.
gain exposure to the role of Compost Incorporation for stormwater infiltration.
Assess the effectiveness of wildflower as vegetation cover on 3:1 to 2:1 types cut and fill slopes.
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