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Hailstone nps

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Vegetation Distribution on a Saline Landscape Hailstone National Wildlife Refuge
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Vegetation

Distribution on a Saline Landscape

Hailstone National Wildlife Refuge

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Nelson, 2009

BillingsBozeman

Hailstone NWR

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RegionalGroundwater Salinity

Concentrations

Hailstone NWR

Nelson, USFWS 2009

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Watershed Area = 12,634 hectares Reservoir Area = 226 hectaresVolume = 2,168,461 kiloliters

Courtesy Google Maps - Terrain

Hailstone Basin

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Elevation of Groundwater

USFWS 2009

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Nelson, USFWS 2009

1941 1954 1962

1979 1991 2003

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Hailstone Reservoir

at 54% Salt - 2003

TDS levels

exceeding 500,000

ppm

(Seawater ~ 34,000 ppm)

Nelson, USFWS 2009

Problem

Elevated waterfowl and wildlife mortality.

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Crop Fallow

Google Earth Image, 2011

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Saline Seep Development

McCauley & Jones, 2005

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Seelig 2000

Soil

Classification

EC

(dS/m)SAR pH

Saline > 4.0 < 12 < 8.5

Sodic < 4.0 > 12 > 8.5

Saline-Sodic > 4.0 > 12 < 8.5

Non-stress Condition

Stress Condition

Effects of Salinity

on Vegetation

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Problem

Elevated salinity & selenium causing severe

waterfowl and wildlife mortality.

Goals

Examine vegetation distribution, landscape

characteristics, hydrology and soil chemistry.

Compare these conditions with vegetation.

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Vegetation Characteristics

Objectives

1) Identify plants on selected sampling

points, measure canopy cover by

species, determine species richness and

calculate diversity. Classify plants using

known indices for anoxia/saturation

toleration (USFWS) and salt tolerance

(USDA).

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Objective: Vegetation

ABCD

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50 cm x 50 cm

(2500 cm2)

sampling frame

vegetation identified

percent cover estimated

for each species

Objective: Vegetation

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Salicornia rubra - glasswort, swamp fireweed

USDA Plants Database

Position Species WIScanopy

cover

A Salicornia rubra OBL 70%

Objective: Vegetation

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Suaeda calceoliformis - seepweed

USDA Plants Database

Position Species WIScanopy

cover

B Suaeda calceoliformis FACW 22%

Objective: Vegetation

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Distichlis spicata – saltgrass

USDA Plants Database

Position Species WIScanopy

cover

C Distichlis spicata FACW 16%

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Photo: Matt Lavin

Poa pratensis – Kentucky bluegrass

Position Species WIScanopy

cover

D Poa pratensis FACU 33%

Objective: Vegetation

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Objective: Vegetation

Position

A B C D

Invers

e S

impson's

(1/D

)

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2.0

Shannon W

iener

(H')

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

Simpson's

Shannon-Wiener

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0

5

10

15

20

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

De

pth

(cm

)

EC dS/m

Mean EC (dS/m) vs. depth by position

A

B

C

D

Objective: Soils

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Objectives

5) Compare vegetation characteristics with

abiotic conditions and use data to help

refuge managers determine revegetation

strategies for soil stabilization

Synthesize Vegetation Characteristics

and

Abiotic Condition

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VEGETATIONLA

ND

SCA

PE

HYDROLOGY

SOILS

EC

N-P-K

%OM

Saturation Depth

% Canopy CoverSpecies Type

Point Elevation & Distance to Water Surface

Objective: Synthesis

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Summary of Observations

• Banded vegetation patterns are representative of unique

abiotic conditions at Hailstone.

• Soil salinity and saturation are closely linked based on

position from water (lake or swale) and depth.

• An environmental gradient exists where salinity and soil

saturation values are highest closer to the lake and

lowest in the upland positions.

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Recommendations

• Build a revegetation model based on observational data,

field scale seeding and planting trials, and soils and

hydrologic data from the newly exposed lake bed.

• Organize areas on the landscape into planting zones

based on elevation, hydrology and soil salinity. Choose

a variety of species and forms (seed, plugs and

transplants) most suited for the conditions within each

zone.

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Objective:

Synthesis

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2010 – Harvested Puccinellia On Site using the Arbuckle Native Seedster

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Seedster – Combs, Brushes, and Air to Harvest Seed –

No Plant Damage

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Harvested 125 Lbs. Puccinellia – Enough for 500 acres

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Seeded November 2010

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Secret Ingredient

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Hmmm….I wonder if

there’s any secret

ingredients in this truck…

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What the heck am I doing out

here?

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Inland saltgrass - Distichlis spicata established

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Suaeda calceoliformis var. erecta

Establishing behind snow fence

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~Questions~


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