Methods and Materials

Research was conducted at the BPMC, in cooperation with the National Park Service, to determine the effects of a popular erosion control blanket on six native species used for restoration in Glacier National Park. The experiment consisted of three treatments: No Blanket (full irradiance), Blanket (partial irradiance), and No Light (complete light exclusion).

The erosion control blanket was constructed of straw coconut fiber embedded in natural fiber netting. Six species were compared: alpine pussytoes Antennaria alpina, Hayden’s sedge Carex haydeniana, Payson’s sedge Carex paysonis, dunhead sedge Carex phaeocephala, arrowleaf groundsel Senecio triangularis, and creeping sibbaldia Sibbaldia procumbens. Five replicates of 25 seeds/replicate were established for each species x treatment resulting in 125 seeds/species/treatment. Ninety lots (6 species x 3 treatments x 5 reps) of 25 stratified seeds were placed on double germination pads in petri dishes in an environmental growth chamber maintained at 30°C (86°F) days for 8-hour photoperiods and 20°C (68°F) nights for 16-hour photoperiods.

The No Blanket treatments were placed under fluorescent lighting (General Electric® F20T12-CW, 20-watt, Cool White bulbs; mean 25.6 umol, range 13.6 to 48.1 umol under Petri dish cover). The Blanket treatments were covered with erosion control blanket and placed under the fluorescent lights (4.6 umol; range 1.9 to 7.3 umol under Petri dish cover). The No Light treatments were placed inside in an opaque box, which in turn was placed under the fluorescent lights.

Daytime temperatures inside the petri dishes at the surface of moistened germination pads averaged 30.5°C (86.9°F) for the No Blanket treatment, 31.2°C (88.2°F) for the Blanket treatment, and 29°C (84°F) inside the opaque box. Germination and biotic contamination data was collected on approximately 14-day intervals. Contamination data included seeds that germinated but then died from what appeared to be fungal infection. After 66 days, the erosion control blanket was removed from the Blanket treatments and the No Light treatments were removed from the box. At this time, both treatments were placed under full irradiance in the growth chamber. Data was collected for an additional 77 days, although no seeds of the No Blanket and Blanket irradiance treatments germinated after 48 days. Statistical verification of results by Chi-Square test or Fisher’s Exact test (p<0.01).

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Last Modified: 11/15/2007