United States Environmental Protection Agency Solid Waste
and Emergency Response (5306W)
EPA530-F-97-046
October 1997
http://www.epa.gov


                 INNOVATIVE USES OF COMPOST

      REFORESTATION, WETLANDS RESTORATION, AND HABITAT
                       REVITALIZATION

     The native plants that inhabit our nation's
countrysides--from the sunflowers on the Great Plains to the
oak seedlings in the Appalachians--are a source of great
beauty. But the plants within a habitat contribute much more
to their surroundings than mere beauty. They provide food
for nearly every other member of the habitat. They enrich
the air through the gases they produce and minerals they
exchange. Even when plants die, they continue to support
grasses, flowers, and trees by becoming the humus, or
organic material in soil, that is so vital to living plants. 

     Unfortunately, much of the organic material in the
nation's soils have been stripped by flooding, logging, and
other natural and man-made stresses. But barren soils can be
restored with the help of compost. Compost adds the missing
texture, humus, and nutrients that plants need to
re-establish themselves in decimated areas. 

     Organic matter in the soils of our wetlands has
decreased steadily since the 17th century. Over 100 million
acres of U.S. wetlands have been drained, and our watersheds
contain only about half the amount of organic matter they
contained in the 17th century. As a result, annual floods
have worsened, drinking water quality has deteriorated, and
wildlife diversity has declined. Compost, with its high
organic content, can absorb up to four times its weight in
water and can replace essential organic material in
wetlands.

     In addition to wetlands restoration, compost also can
help restore forests and revitalize habitats. Compost can
play an important part in reforestation efforts by providing
an excellent growing medium for young seedlings. In the same
way, compost can help to revegetate barren habitats,
providing the necessary sustenance for native wildlife
populations. By enhancing the chemical and mineral
properties of soil, compost facilitates native plant growth,
which provides food for native and endangered animal
populations.

     By enhancing the chemical and mineral properties of
soil, compost facilitates native plant growth, which
provides food for native and endangered animal populations.


REFORESTATION: 
Nantahela National Forest and the Qualla Cherokee
Reservation 

     In 1996, the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Indian
Affairs, Cherokee Tribal Council, and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) launched a 3-year, joint study
(1995-1998) to test the effectiveness of straw compared to
three different kinds of composts in stimulating tree
seedling growth and reducing soil erosion. The three
composts, made from yard trimmings, municipal waste water
sludge (biosolids), and municipal solid waste (MSW), were
used as a 2-inch mulch on white pine soft-wood, chestnut
oak, and chinese chestnut hard-wood seedlings.

     The project was carried out at three different sites
within the Cheoah Ranger District, Nantahela Forest and the
adjoining Qualla Cherokee Reservation at Cherokee, North
Carolina. U.S. Forest Rangers and Cherokee workers cleared
and planted the plots for this study. The study sites were
chosen because they contained compacted, eroded areas or
disturbed steep slopes. Each of the three composts and the
straw were tested on two plots each, and the seedling types
were grown on each plot.

     After 20 months, results showed that height, diameter,
and survival rates for seedlings planted in the composted
test plots exceeded the straw test plots. In addition,
volunteer revegetation by herbaceous plants was remarkable
in the composted plots. After 30 months, erosion was evident
in the straw plots but not in the composted plots.


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HABITAT REFORESTATION: 
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Project 

     Dr. Matthew C. Perry, a habitat management scientist at
the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland, in
cooperation with the EPA, is leading a 2- year study
(1996-1998) to show the value of using composts to restore
wildlife habitats. Past military and farming operations at
Patuxent degraded native plant populations, resulting in a
serious decline of many animal populations in the area. The
aim of the new study is to revegetate a 4.8- acre site with
native plants in an effort to restore the food sources for
indigenous wildlife populations, including songbirds, game
species, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and insects.

     The study is comparing the effectiveness of two compost
materials, one made from municipal wastewater sludge
(biosolids), and the other made from yard debris. These two
soil treatments, with two types of controls, were randomly
assigned to eight plots and replicated twice. Control plots
received no compost and were of two types: one that was
planted with a hand-collected mixture of native grasses and
legumes and one that was not planted. Plots with compost
were also planted with the native plant mixture.

     Preliminary results, in the late fall of 1996,
indicated the greatest revegetation of plots occurred in
areas treated with compost made from yard debris; but, all
of the plots with compost had superior growth compared to
the control plots.


REGAINING WETLANDS:
Clean Washington Center Project

     At a site in Everett, Washington, the Clean Washington
Center sponsored a 2-year project, from 1994-1996, to test
two types of compost in the restora-tion of damaged
wetlands. The restoration site consisted of two large
wetlands joined by a cul-vert 550 feet long and 18 inches
deep. Decades ago, a sawmill sat in the sandy area between
the wetlands. Once the mill was torn down, the area was left
relatively barren, which made the rail-road tracks and bike
path adjacent to the upper wetland prone to flooding. The
project utilized compost extensively to keep the adjacent
railroad tracks and bike path from flooding.

     The project's construction team deposited a yard debris
compost and a mixed compost made of biosolids and yard
debris into 14 separate test plots. A control plot
containing no compost was also developed. Workers then
introduced a selection of indigenous wetland plant species
into each plot and monitored the parameters of the
compost-amended soil and the growth of the plants every six
months, through 1996.

     The project showed that the compost enriched soils
closely mimicked the natural wetland substrate. In addition,
the plants in both compost test plots exhibited 20 percent
more growth, and a 10 to 15 percent higher survival rate
than the control plots. The site also handled the flow of
1996's heavy winter rains quite well, and the railroad
tracks and bike path did not flood.


Des Plaines River Flood Plain

     Dr. Donald Hey, an expert in flood plain technology,
tested the value of using compost to restore 37 acres of
wetlands in a project he conducted on the banks of the Des
Plaines River in northern Illinois. He and his staff used
compost to encourage the growth of native marsh plants in
four marshes. One portion of the marshes, functioning as a
control, was not treated with compost.

     Positive results were observed within 2 years of
incorporating compost into the soil along the river. Flood
storage of the area--the ability of the soil to absorb and
contain the excess water from floods--had improved
drastically compared to the control area. River water
quality also improved significantly, with reduced nitrogen
values and fewer suspended solids in rehabilitated areas of
the river. In fact, the revitalized soil and plant life
removed 90 to 95 percent of the nitrogen and suspended
solids from the water.


References 

Bonnette, J., and R.E. Green. 1995. Report on the
effec-tiveness of composts in stimulating tree seedling
growth and reducing soil erosion. Clemson: U.S. Southeaster
Forest Service.

Lynch, Mary E. 1995. Report on Wetland restoration of barren
flood area with the use of compost. Pittsburgh: National
Recycling Congress.

Hey, Donald. 1994. Report on the use of compost for the Des
Plains River Flood Plain. Beltsville, Maryland: U.S.
Department of Agriculture.

Kennamer, J.E. 1994. Role of winter habitat in wild turkey
survival. Turkey Call 94:8-9.

Martin, A.C., A.S. Zim, and A.L. Nelson. 1951. American
Wildlife and Plants. New York: McGraw-Hill.


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