Date of Award
2021
Publisher
North Dakota State University
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Awarded
Master of Science (MS)
Program
Range Science
Department
Natural Resource Sciences
College
Agriculture, Food Systems and Natural Resources
Faculty Advisor
Sedivec, Kevin
Description
Land management techniques can enhance altered ecosystems on a variety of landscapes. In the Williston Basin of North Dakota, brine ponds created 50 years ago still cause problems today. We applied six treatments to reclaim the A-horizon of brine-affected soil on six legacy brine ponds and monitored soil nutrients until 23 months after treatment. We found that from 0-15 cm, all treatments were significantly better at reducing electrical conductivity than the control. In addition, sodium adsorption ratio was reduced at all depths over time. In Southcentral North Dakota, we monitored the effects of fire and grazing on colonies of western snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis), an invasive woody shrub. Prescribed burning had a significant effect on western snowberry by reducing the number of mature plants and increasing the number of new shoots/m2. By incorporating drone aerial imagery, we helped develop an increasingly useful tool in vegetation monitoring.
Recommended Citation
Bartels, Dylan John, "The Use of Land Management Practices to Reclaim Brine-Affected Cropland Soils and Restore Shrub Invaded Rangeland" (2021). Range Science. 23.
https://digitalcommons.ndsu.edu/range-sci/23
Rights
NDSU policy 190.6.2
Rights Link
https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf
Handle Identifier
https://hdl.handle.net/10365/32382