Date of Award
2019
Publisher
North Dakota State University
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Awarded
Master of Science (MS)
Program
Natural Resources Management
Department
Natural Resource Sciences
College
Agriculture, Food Systems and Natural Resources
Faculty Advisor
DeSutter, Thomas
Description
The growth of fossil fuel production in North Dakota has resulted in numerous releases of brine. Brine releases cause vegetation mortality as well as the deterioration of soil structural and edaphic properties. Little research to date has been dedicated to the germination response of plant species grown in North Dakota to brine-induced salinity. Through the exposure of plant seeds to increasing levels of brine and NaCl-induced salinity, it was determined that the graminoid species Elymus hoffmannii (AC Saltlander) and Pascopyrum smithii (Western Wheatgrass) exhibited the greatest germination at high salinities. Current remediation technologies for brine-impacted lands often produce mixed results, requiring further research and testing. In two laboratory experiments, the ability of materials to wick salts from brine-contaminated soils was tested. The results of these studies show that some materials reduced Na concentrations in sandy loam, loam, and silty clay soils by upwards of 88, 89.5, 38.4% respectively.
Recommended Citation
Green, Aaron Wesley, "Oil-Field Brine Impacts on Seed Germination and a Contemporary Remediation Technique for Contaminated Soils" (2019). Natural Resources Management. 9.
https://digitalcommons.ndsu.edu/nrm/9
Rights
NDSU policy 190.6.2
Rights Link
https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf
Author ORCID Identifier
0000-0001-5092-9991
Handle Identifier
https://hdl.handle.net/10365/31571