The effects of deicing salts on vegetation in Pinhook Bog, Indiana
Average rating
Cast your vote
You can rate an item by clicking the amount of stars they wish to award to this item.
When enough users have cast their vote on this item, the average rating will also be shown.
Star rating
Your vote was cast
Thank you for your feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Author
Wilcox, Douglas A.Journal title
Canadian Journal of BotanyTerm and Year
Volume 64, pp 865-874 1986Date Published
1986
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
A four-year study identified the effects of road salt contamination on the vegetation of Pinhook Bog after an operation of an uncovered salt storage pile adjacent to the bog for 10 years. Nearly all the endemic plant species (including moat species) were absent from the portion of the bog where mean salt concentrations as high as 468 ml/L sodium and 1215 mg/L chloride were measured in the interstitial waters of the peat mat. Skeletons of dead tamaracks. The impacted was invade by nonbog species and dominated by Typha angustifolia. As salt concentrations decreased by 50% over four years, many of the endemic bog plants, including Sphagnum, returned to the impacted area. Declines were noted in the abundance of some of the invading species, while others continue expansion. Many of the invading and reestablished bog plants are known to be salt tolerant and pioneers in secondary succession of disturbed bogs.