REGENERATION OF WOODY VEGETATION ALONG ROADSIDES

A CLIMAX VEGETATION OR A NATURAL PLANT COVER IS ONE THAT IS IN BALANCE WITH NATURE /CLIMATE, PHYSICAL, AND CHEMICAL CONDITIONS OF SOILS, AND BIOTIC FACTORS SUCH AS WILDLIFE, INSECTS, AND DISEASES/. CLIMAX VEGETATION IN A REGION HAS DEFINITE CHARACTERISTICS FOR EXAMPLE, DECIDUOUS FORESTS, EVERGREEN FORESTS, SOUTHERN PINES WITH GRASSLANDS AND SHORT TO TALL GRASSLANDS. THE CLIMAX VEGETATION IS STRONGLY INFLUENCED BY THE AMOUNT AND DISTRIBUTION OF RAINFALL, MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES. GRASS SODS MAY BE CALLED ARTIFICIAL VEGETATION IN THAT MOWING AND FERTILIZER ARE NEEDED FOR MAINTENANCE. WHEN THE ORIGINAL NATURAL FOREST VEGETATION HAS BEEN DESTROYED, AS IS NECESSARY FOR BUILDING HIGHWAYS, PERENNIAL GRASS OR GRASS-LEGUME SODS SERVE AS A PRACTICAL, INEXPENSIVE METHOD FOR QUICK PLANT COVER FOR SOIL AND WATER CONTROL ON BARE HIGHWAY SLOPES. WHEN ESTABLISHED SODS ARE NOT MOWED, CHANGES IN VEGETATION /CALLED PLANT SUCCESSION/ WILL OCCUR NATURALLY. GRASS SODS, WHICH SERVE TO ENCOURAGE GERMINATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF A HARDY WOODY VEGETATION, ARE THUS PRACTICAL AND INEXPENSIVE. THE SUCCESSION STAGES OF VEGETATION THAT OCCUR NATURALLY ON UNDISTURBED GRASS SODS HAVE MUCH AESTHETIC VALUE AT VARIOUS SEASONS OF THE YEAR.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1967/161/161-010.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper sponsored by Committee on Roadside Development and presented at the 45th Annual Meeting. 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.
• Authors:
  • McKee Jr, W H
• Publication Date: 1967

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 104-115
• Monograph Title: Roadside development
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 161
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aesthetics; Climate; Grasses; Ground cover; Rainfall; Roadside improvement; Shrubs; Temperature; Vegetation
• Old TRIS Terms: Sods
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00204693
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 27 1994 12:00AM