PLANT MATERIALS AND ESTABLISHMENT TECHNIQUES FOR REVEGETATION OF CALIFORNIA DESERT HIGHWAYS

Soil erosion can be severe along desert roadsides, especially after new construction. Container plantings and direct seedings of available plant materials have not always provided needed long-term erosion control. In 1978 the California Department of Transportation contracted with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, to test new plant materials for roadside revegetation in the desert environment. Direct seedings of herbaceous perennials were largely unsuccessful. Red brome (Bromus rubens), an annual grass, showed potential. Seedings of woody plants were more successful. Desert saltbush (Atriplex polycarpa), Marana fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) and Casa quailbush (Atriplex lentiformis) established good stands at three of the five planting sites. Desert encelia (Encelia farinosa), big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum), and Dorado bladderpod (Isomeris arborea) grew well at two of the five sites. These seven shrubs also performed well in container plantings. Woody plants that grew successfully from containers but not from direct seedings were desert broom (Baccharis sarothroides), shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia), bursage (Ambrosia dumosa), creosoto bush (Larrea tridentata), and rubber rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus). Wildlife depredation was the greatest cause of shrub mortality.

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  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1984/969/969-004.pdf
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  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Landscape and Environmental Design.
• Authors:
  • Clary Jr, Raimond F
  • Slayback, Robert D
• Publication Date: 1984

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 24-26
• Monograph Title: Wetlands and roadside management
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 969
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Brush control; Deserts; Erosion control; Grasses; Highways; Plants; Revegetation; Roadside; Shrubs; Wildlife
• Uncontrolled Terms: Brush
• Geographic Terms: California
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Planning and Forecasting; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00394937
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309037514
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Nov 30 1985 12:00AM