Woody Plant Abundance in the Red Rocks Canyon Landfill

Laura Holder

Caity Ross

Becca Willis

Landfills are a part of the urban landscape

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Problems With Reclamation

• Elevated pH

• High soil moisture

• High methane levels

• Low abundance of woody plants

Effects of pH

Decomposing refuse

Leachates

Basic Soil

Inhibited plant growth

Effects of Soil Moisture

Clay Cap

Water binding

Dense soil

Poor Root Growth

Effects of Methane

Organic Waste

Methane release

Methanotrophs

Excess CO2Poor plant growth

Lack of Woody Plants

Basic soil + Moist clay cap +

Anoxic conditions

=Poor plant growth

Red Rock Canyon Landfill

• Location• Operated from 1970 until

1986• Fifty feet of debris

covering the 80 acre landfill area

• Clay-capped in 1986

Hypothesis• Low abundance of woody plants in landfill

because of:

-Acidic Soil

-High Soil Moisture Content

-High Methane Levels

Methods: Establishing Plots

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Methods: Plant Abundance

Methods: Soil Cores

Methods: pH and Moisture

Methods: Methane

Methods: Gas Chromatograph

Results

1) Abundance

2) Temperature

3) Moisture

4) pH

5) Methane

Plant Abundance by Area

Average Temperature by Area

Average Moisture by Area

Average pH by Area

Average Methane Flux by Area

Woody Plants vs. Temperature

Woody Plants vs. Moisture

Woody Plants vs. pH

Woody Plants vs. Methane Flux

Furthering Studies

• More time/plots

• Deeper soil tests

• Trace metals and cations

• Leachate composition

• Seed dispersal

• Redox tests

• DNA probe

Societal Impact

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Works Cited:Arthur, J.J., Leone, I.A. Leone, and F.B. Flower. 1981. Flooding and Landfill Gas Effects on Red and Sugar Maples. Journal of Environmental Quality. 10: 431-

433. Ellis, D. 2000. The Landfill. Red Rock Rag. 2: 2-3 Ellis, D. 2000. Keep this Map. Red Rock Rag. 7: 2-3 Ettala, M., P. Rahkonen, V. Kitunen, O. Valo, and M.S. Salonen. 1988. Quality of Refuse, Gas, and Water at a Sanitary Landfill. Aqua Fennica. 18: 15-28. Fernandez, I.J. and P.A. Kosian. 1987. Soil Air Carbon Dioxide Concentrations in a New England Spruce-Fir Forest. Soil Science of America Journal. 51: 261-263. Foster, G. A. 2001. Assessment of Landfill Reclamation and the Effects of Age on the Combustion of Recovered MSW. MSW Management. Gilman, E.F., Flower, F.B, and I.D. Leone. 1985. Standardized Procedures for Planting Vegetation on Completed Landfills. 3: 65-80. McDonnell, M.J., and E.W. Stiles. 1983. The Structural Complexity of Old Field Vegetation and the Recruitment of Bird-Dispersed Plant Species. Oecologia. 56:

109-116.  Whitney, G.G. 1991. Relation of Plant Species to Substrate, Landscape Position, and Aspect in North Central Massachusetts. Canadian Journal of Forest Research.

1245-1252.  Wise, M. G., J. V. McArthur, and L. J. Shimkets. 1999. Methanotroph Diversity in Landfill soil: Isolation of Novel Type I and Type II Methantrophs whose Presence was suggested by Culture-Independent 16S Ribosomal DNA Analysis. Applied and

Environmental Microbiology. 65: 4887-4897. Wong, M. H. 2003 Landfill Restoration for Sustainable Waste Management and Land Utilization. Proceedings of the Internet Conference on Ecocity Development. 

Acknowledgements:Sharon Hall

Shar Samy

Terry Putman

Joss McKinnen

The RRCL Security Guard

The German Women Hiking Group