Innovative Uses of Compost
Reforestation, Wetlands
Restoration, and Habitat
Revitalization
nhe native plants that inhabit America's countrysides—from the
sunflowers on the Great Plains to the oak seedlings in the
Appalachians—are a source of great beauty. But the plants within
a habitat contribute much more to their surroundings than mere
beauty. They provide a vital food source for many members of the habitat.
They enrich the air through the gases they produce and minerals they
exchange. Even when plants die, they continue to support grasses, flow-
ers, and trees by becoming part of the humus, or organic material in soil,
that is so vital to living plants.
Unfortunately, much of the organic material in the soils in the United
States has been stripped by natural and man-made stresses such as ero-
sion, flooding, and logging. But barren soils can be restored with the help
of compost. Compost adds the missing infrastructure, humus, and nutri-
ents that plants need to re-establish themselves in decimated areas.
Organic matter in the soils of wetlands in the United States has
decreased steadily over the last three centuries. According to Dr. Donald
Hey, an expert in flood plain management, over 100 million acres of U.S.
wetlands have been drained, and our watersheds now contain only about
half the amount of organic matter they contained in the 17th century. As a
result, annual floods have worsened, ground water quality has deteriorat-
ed, and wildlife diversity has declined. Compost, with its high organic
content, can absorb up to four times its weight in water and can replace
essential organic material in wetlands.
In addition to wetlands restoration, compost also can help restore
forests and revitalize habitats. Compost can play an important part in
reforestation efforts by providing an excellent growing medium for young
seedlings. In the same way, compost can help to revegetate barren habi-
tats, providing the necessary sustenance for native wildlife populations.
By enhancing the chemical and mineral properties of soil, compost facili-
tates native plant growth, which provides food for native and endangered
animal populations.
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Reforestation:
Nantahela National Forest and
the Quaila Cherokee Reservation
nn 1996, the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of
Indian Affairs, Cherokee Tribal Council, and
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) launched a 3-year, joint study
(1995-1998) to test the effectiveness of straw
Photo courtesy of U.S. Forest Service
U.S. Forest Rangers and Cherokee workers
cleared plots for the compost study.
compared to three different kinds of composts in
stimulating tree seedling growth and reducing soil
erosion. The three composts, made from yard
trimmings, municipal waste water sludge
(biosolids), and municipal solid waste (MSW),
were used as a 2-inch mulch on white pine soft-
wood, chestnut oak, and Chinese chestnut hard-
wood seedlings.
The project was carried out at three different
sites within the Cheoah Ranger District,
Nantahela Forest and the adjoining Quaila
Cherokee Reservation at Cherokee, North
Carolina. U.S. Forest Rangers and Cherokee work-
ers cleared and planted the plots for this study.
The study sites were chosen because they con-
tained compacted, eroded areas or disturbed steep
slopes. Each of the three composts and the straw
were tested on two plots each, and the seedling
types were grown on each plot.
After 20 months, results showed that height,
diameter, and survival rates for seedlings planted
in the composted test plots exceeded the straw
test plots. In addition, volunteer revegetation by
herbaceous plants was remarkable in the com-
posted plots. After 30 months, erosion was evi-
dent in the straw plots but not in the composted
plots.
Photos courtesy of
r.S. Forest Service
Seedlings planted in compost mulch flourish and show
greater groivth than seedlings planted in straw mulch.
Average Seedling Diameter
(inches after 20 months)
0.20
White Pine
Chestnut Oak
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year
Habitat Restoration:
Patuxent Wildlife Research
Center Project
r. Matthew C. Perry, a habitat manage-
ment scientist at the Patuxent Wildlife
Research Center in Maryland, in coop-
eration with the EPA, is leading a 2-
ly (1996-1998) to show the value of using
composts to restore wildlife habitats. Past military
and farming operations at Patuxent degraded
native plant populations, resulting in a serious
decline of many animal populations in the area.
The aim of the new study is to revegetate a 4.8-
acre site with native plants in an effort to restore
the food sources for indigenous wildlife popula-
tions, including songbirds, game species, small
mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and insects.
The study is comparing the effectiveness of
two compost materials, one made from municipal
wastewater sludge (biosolids), and the other made
from yard debris. These two soil treatments, with
two types of controls, were randomly assigned to
eight plots and replicated twice. Control plots
received no compost and were of two types: one
that was planted with a hand-collected mixture of
native grasses and legumes and one that was not
planted. Plots with compost were also planted
with the native plant mixture.
Preliminary results, in the late fall of 1996,
indicated the greatest revegetation of plots
occurred in areas treated with compost made
from yard debris; but, all of the plots with com-
post had superior growth compared to the control
plots.
he Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Piles of compost await spreading on a degraded area of
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center.
Regaining Wetlands:
Clean Washington Center Project
t a site in Everett, Washington, the
Clean Washington Center sponsored a
2-year project, from 1994-1996, to test
two types of compost in the restora-
tion of damaged wetlands. The restoration site
consisted of two large wetlands joined by a cul-
vert 550 feet long and 18 inches deep. Decades
ago, a sawmill sat in the sandy area between the
wetlands. Once the mill was torn down, the area
was left relatively barren, which made the rail-
road tracks and bike path adjacent to the upper
wetland prone to flooding. The project utilized
compost extensively to keep the adjacent railroad
tracks and bike path from flooding.
The project's construction team deposited a
yard debris compost and a mixed compost made
of biosolids and yard debris into 14 separate test
plots. A control plot containing no compost was
also developed. Workers then introduced a selec-
tion of indigenous wetland plant species into
each plot and monitored the growth of the plants
every six months, through 1996.
The project showed that the compost enriched
soils closely mimicked the natural wetland sub-
strate. In addition, the plants in both compost test
plots exhibited 20 percent more growth, and a 10
to 15 percent higher survival rate than the control
plots. The site also handled the flow of 1996's
heavy winter rains quite well, and the railroad
tracks and bike path did not flood.
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Photo courtesy of the Clean Washington Center
Damaged wetlands near railroad tracks in Everett, Washington,
flooded the tracks constantly. Restoration with compost prevent-
ed flooding and helped support the native beaver population.
Des Plaines River Flood Plain
r. Donald Hey, an expert in flood plain
management, tested the value of using
compost to restore 37 acres of wetlands
in a project he conducted on the banks
of the Des Plaines River in northern Illinois. He
and his staff used compost to encourage the
growth of native plants in four marshes. One por-
tion of the marshes, functioning as a control, was
not treated with compost.
Positive results were observed within 2 years of
incorporating compost into the soil along the
river. Flood storage of the area—the ability of the
soil to absorb and contain the excess water from
floods—had improved dramatically compared to
the control area. River water quality also
improved significantly, with reduced nitrogen
values and fewer suspended solids in rehabilitat-
ed areas of the river. In fact, the revitalized soil
and plant life removed 90 to 95 percent of the
nitrogen and suspended solids from the water.
References
Bonnette, ]., and R.E. Green. 1995. Report on the effec-
tiveness of composts in stimulating tree seedling
growth and reducing soil erosion. Clemson: U.S.
Southeaster Forest Service.
Lynch, Mary E. 1995. Report on Wetland restoration of
barren flood area with the use of compost. Pittsburgh:
National Recycling Congress.
Hey, Donald. 1994. Report on the use of compost for
the Des Plains River Flood Plain. Beltsville, Maryland:
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Kennamer, J.E. 1994. Role of winter habitat in wild
turkey survival. Turkey Call 94:8-9.
Martin, A.C., A.S. Zim, and A.L. Nelson. 1951.
American Wildlife and Plants. New York: McGraw-Hill.
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