Buffalo Creek Fire

InvestigatorsCSU - Redente, Barbarick, Miller

EPA - Brobst

Background Information

Fire May 18, 1996Burned 4806 hectares of Ponderosa Pine/Douglas Fir at 2,200 m elevationSevere Erosion following Thunderstorms in 1996

Stream Flow – Normal < 10CFSSteam Flow – Storm > 30,000CFS

Project ObjectivesCompare effects of single application of biosolids at 0,5,10,20,40 and 80 Mg/ha.

Plant establishmentBiomass productionSpecies diversityChemical quality of Plant and SoilRunoff quantity and quality

Experimental Design24 treatment plots - 6 treatments/ 4 reps. of eachEach plot 3m x 100-300mUse of Full size Application EquipmentSingle application of composted biosolidsdisced to depth of 10-20 cmSeeded at 27 kg/ha (FS provided Seed)

Biomass Production Biosolids App. Rate

Biomass 10/97

Biomass 7/98

Biomass 7/99

0 mG/ha 352kg/ha 700kg/ha 515 kg/ha 5 1084 871 789 10 2001 1349 1241 20 1730 1838 1297 40 2434 1617 1310 80 3308 2219 1765

Cover Comparison Biosolids Plots

Treatment Plant Cover B-Grnd Litter Burn/UT 38% (41%) 43% (45%) 17%(10%) 0 26% (20%) 44%(57%) 30%(20%) 5 40% (32%) 22%(30%) 36%(36%) 10 53% (48%) 10%(27%) 37%(22%) 20 54% (43%) 12%(28%) 34%(29%) 40 39% (50%) 17%(22%) 44%(25%)

Note 1999 (1998)

Mean % Canopy Cover by Cover Type(2000)App.Rate Plant Litter Bare-grnd Rock

0 41.25b 22.75c 35.75a 0.25b5 51.00a 29.50b 18.25bc 1.25b10 50.86a 32.85b 16.04bc 0.25b20 48.75a 36.50b 14.00bc 0.75b40 46.86a 34.41b 18.23bc 0.50b80 53.25a 39.50b 7.00c 0.25b

Between 52.42a 15.80c 31.31a 0.47bHvy Burn 52.67a 17.00c 26.67ab 3.67aLight Burn 36.67b 51.00a 11.67c 0.67b

Mean Biomass g/m2 by life form (2000)App.Rate Grass Forbs Shrub Total

0 46.31 2.54 0.34 49.025 50.80 2.24 0.28 53.3210 61.14 1.51 0.29 62.9420 82.68 3.15 4.09 89.6240 87.18 1.90 1.19 90.2780 127.23 0.31 0.01 127.54

Between 13.14 53.57 9.84 76.55Light Burn 12.95 14.68 4.70 32.32

Photo Comparison