ROADSIDE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT IN ONTARIO

Rising costs of establishing and replacing planted trees and shrubs, greater public concern about environmental impacts resulting from highway construction, and development of alternative methods to maintain and revegetate roadsides generated a need to examine vegetation management practices along Ontario's King's and secondary highway systems. During the summer of 1975, 198 roadside sample plots were examined to determine contributory factors leading to the decline and death of planted trees and shrubs. Lack of adequate irrigation, shallow soils, and mechanical damage to stems seemed to be the major causes of mortality (exclusive of deicing salt pollution). Natural regeneration was measured at 22 plots. If free of disturbance by mowing, herbicide treatment and salt spray, native trees and shrubs rapidly invade roadside slopes and flats. An adjacent seed source is required for effective regeneration. Planted exotic species also revegetate. During interviews with District Landscape Supervisors there was a need expressed for a program to improve information exchange within and between Districts as well as with the Landscape Planning and Operations section. A review of highway vegetation management programs in the United States revealed that there has been a drastic reduction in mowing expenditures during the last five years and an expanded reliance upon natural regeneration to vegetate roadsides. The report suggests that the Ministry investigate natural regeneration and direct seeding trials in Ontario. /Author/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This report is the result of the Ontario Joint Transportation and Dommunications Research Program, Project T-34.
• Corporate Authors:

  Ontario Ministry of Transportation & Communic, Can

  Research and Development Division, 1201 Wilson Avenue
  Downsview, ONo M3M 1J8,   Canada 
• Authors:
  • ANDRESEN, J W
  • Lewis-Watts, P
• Publication Date: 1977-8

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; References;
• Pagination: 44 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Environmental impacts; Herbicides; Highway maintenance; Irrigation; Mowing; Road construction; Roadside; Salts; Shrubs; Soil mechanics; Trees; Vegetation
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00168055
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: RR 210
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 7 1978 12:00AM