University of Connecticut OpenCommons@UConn Master's Theses University of Connecticut Graduate School 5-7-2016 Effective Establishment of Native Plant Communities Along New England Roadsides John M. Campanelli University of Connecticut, [email protected] Recommended Citation Campanelli, John M., "Effective Establishment of Native Plant Communities Along New England Roadsides" (2016).Master's Theses. 933. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/gs_theses/933 This work is brought to you for free and open access by the University of Connecticut Graduate School at OpenCommons@UConn. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of OpenCommons@UConn. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Effective Establishment of Native Plant Communities Along New England Roadsides John Michael Campanelli B.A., Columbia University, 1999 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science At the University of Connecticut 2016 Copyright by John Michael Campanelli 2016 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to my advisors Julia Kuzovkina, Cristian Schulthess, and Bob Ricard; the NETC for funding this research; regional DOT managers Robert Moosman, Susan Fielder, and George Batchelor for guidance concerning DOT operations; Glenn Dryer, Connecticut College Arboretum, for overall project guidance; Steve Olsen and Greg Tormey, UConn Experiment Farm, for their help with fieldwork; Don Woodall and Mark Lavoie, Colonial Seed Company; Bill Brumback and Arthur Haines, New England Wildflower Society, for native plant guidance; Irina Kadis, Arnold Arboretum, and Bryan Connolly for help with site botanical identification; Donna Ellis for help on the subject of invasive species; Margie Faber, for assistance with redoximorphic feature soil tests; Jack Berlanda, DEEP Truax operator; Jon Decker, UConn Maintenance, for hydroseeding; Gregory Gallup and Bruce Villwock, CT DOT, for providing access to U.S. Rte. 6 sites; Mark Fiely, Ernst Conservation Seeds, for knowledge about native seed production; Daryl Smith, Dave Williams, and Greg Houseal, Iowa’s Tallgrass Prairie Center, for establishment technique guidance ; Mark Brownlee, Archewild, for acting as an industry mentor; Dave Anderson, New England Wetland Plants, for advice concerning seed mixes; Noah Wilson-Rich, Best Bees Company, for information concerning pollinator health; Kelly Gill, Xerces Society, for information concerning habitat health; Carol Auer, Geoffery Ecker, and R.C. Rizitello for help on the subject of regional native plant genetics; Victoria Wallace, UConn Dept. of Extension, for guidance concerning grass species and the turf industry; Dawn Smith and Jacob Ricker for help with the manual’s plant profiles, Boya Yuan for site assessment illustrations, and Chris Strand for all the thankless work she does in keeping the Plant Science Department running. Lastly, I would like to thank my family for their patience and support. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………...iv Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………..…v Abstract…………………………………………………………………………..…………….vii I: Introduction………….………………………………………………………………………..1 II: Site Assessment and Inventory……………….…………………………………..................5 2.1 Site Inventory and Assessment Checklist………………………………………...6 2.11 Protected Areas Surrounding Site………………………………………...7 2.12 Roadside Limitations…………………………………………………..…9 2.13 Roadside Topography……………………………………………………15 2.14 Soil Conditions…………………………………………………………..16 2.15 Existing vegetation……………………………………………………....24 III: Establishment Methods for Native Plant Communities…………………………………29 3.1 Site Preparation…………………………………………………………………..30 3.1.1 Establishing all New Vegetation following Construction………………....31 3.1.2 Transitioning current roadside vegetation to native vegetation……………32 3.1.2.1 Establishment of New Native Plantings on Current Roadsides….32 3.1.2.2 Augmentation of Existing Native Plant Communities…………...40 3.2 Seeding…………………………………………………………………………...42 3.2.1 Timing of Warm-Season Grass Seeding…………………………….……..45 3.2.3 Seeding Methods…………………………………………………………...47 3.2.3.1 Drill Seeding………………………………………..……………48 3.2.3.2 Hydroseeding…………………………………………………….53 3.2.3.3 Sawdust as Seed Mulch………………………………………….59 3.2.3.4 Broadcast Seeding……………………………………………….61 3.2.4 Cover Crops, Nurse Crops, and Companion Plants……………………….64 3.2.5 Mulching…………………………………………………………………..65 v 3.3 Post-Establishment Monitoring and Maintenance…………………………….…66 IV: Focus Groups of New England Departments of Transportation Managers to Identify Barriers to Implementation of New Revegetation Protocols……………………………...…75 4.1 Methods………………………………………………………………………….76 4.2 Results and Findings……………………………………………………………..78 4.2.1 Motivating DOT Managers………………………………………………...78 4.2.2 Addressing Structural Impediments within DOT……………………….…83 4.2.3 Addressing Funding Issues………………………………………………...87 4.2.4 Other Hurdles ……………………………………………………………..89 Works Cited……………………………………………………………………………………...91 Appendix A: New England E.P.A Ecoregion Map……………………………………………...93 Appendix B: New England State U.S.D.A Hardiness Zones Maps……………………………..94 Appendix C: Obtaining GPS Coordinates……………………………………………………….99 Appendix D: Web Soil Survey Instructions Brochure…………………………………………100 Appendix E: Sidebar: Site Preparation…………………………………………………………102 Appendix F: Sidebar: Sawdust as Planting Medium for Seed……………………………….…103 Appendix G: Sidebar: Coated Fluffy Seeds ……………………………………………………105 Appendix H: Sidebar: Seeding Calendar…………………………………………………….…106 Appendix I: Recommended Nurse Crops/Companion Crops……………………………….….109 Appendix J: Profiles of Cover Crops………………………….……………….…………….…111 Appendix K: Types of Mulch………………………………….…………………………….…115 vi ABSTRACT The New England Transportation Consortium (NETC) commissioned research to find the most affordable, reliable, and expeditious methods for establishing native plant communities along New England roadsides and document these findings in a manual that would guide state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) efforts to transform their roadside revegetation management practices. These installations would replace large portions of the introduced cool- season turf grasses commonly used along highways, which require greater resource inputs and frequent mowing. State DOTs hope that, by transitioning to these more sustainable management practices, they can save on fuel costs, decrease machinery emissions, increase pollinator populations, adapt to changing climates, reduce erosion, and improve storm water soil infiltration. The methods by which we collected information to compose the manual included: literature review of peer-reviewed and technical material related to federal and state DOT roadside and right-of-way revegetation; interviews with over 130 practitioners, scientists, specialists, business owners, and academics in the fields of ecological restoration, native seed production, pollinator habitats and health, ecosystem services, and right-of-way vegetation management; and establishment of demonstration plots along U.S. Route 6 in Tolland and Windham Counties in Connecticut. Each plot received site assessments to determine which establishment approaches would best suit each site’s microclimate. Establishment techniques included the use of no-till drills, hydroseeding, sawdust as a seed medium, broadcast seeding, and clay seed balls. In the course of this research, it was discovered that extensive populations of native grasses and sedges currently exist along New England roadsides. Techniques were developed for augmenting these native communities that involved properly timed herbicide applications and decreased mowing regimens. A sizable portion of the interview process vii involved conducting focus groups with managers from New England DOTs to determine the barriers that might impede successful transitioning from current roadside revegetation practices. These focus groups revealed that successful implementation required buy-in from upper management, cost-benefit analyses that demonstrate that these new practices save money, training programs, and further experimental trials from which agencies can gain experience conducting these new techniques and gather further data about the effectiveness of each technique.   viii I. INTRODUCTION This master thesis consists of chapters written for inclusion in a manual written to help New England Departments of Transportation (DOTs) transition from their current practice of revegetating roadsides using introduced cool-season turf grasses to new protocols for revegetating roadsides using native plant species. The National Highway System consists of 163,000 miles of roads bordered by 3.4 million acres of unpaved land along right-of-ways in the contiguous United States (Ament et al., 2014). These extensive areas provide important ecosystem services, such as runoff reduction, carbon sequestration, improved air quality, and aesthetics. Roadsides represent one of the most extensive networks of linear habitats on earth, which act as corridors for species distribution and by connecting fragmented existing landscape patches. This land supports a diversity of wildlife by providing shelter, food and breeding opportunities for many species including presently threatened pollinators (Hopwood et al., 2016). Introduced cool-season turf grasses have long served DOTs well in so far as they provide easily-established vegetative cover, quick erosion control, and respond well to repeated mowing. However, recent policy changes require the establishment of native plants along roadsides (Clinton, 1994, 1999). Native plant communities provide long-term defense against invasive and noxious weeds while reducing maintenance costs associated with managing weedy vegetation. Many native grasses, especially warm-season species, have deeper, more extensive root systems and longer life-spans than non-native cool-season turf grasses. They improve long-term slope stability and increase regional biodiversity. Native species have evolved with local climates and soil conditions and generally require less maintenance after establishment. 1