Revegetation and Selected Terrain Disturbances Along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, 1975-1978,
Abstract
Revegetation techniques along the trans-Alaska pipeline as employed by Alyeska Pipeline Service Company during the 1975-1978 summers were observed. Objectives included determining the success of treatments, identifying problem areas, and noticing long-term implications. Observations and photographs at 60 sites located along the trans-Alaska pipeline indicated frequent occurrence of successful revegetation as well as frequent problems, such as erosion, slope instability, poor scheduling of seed application, occurrence of weed species, failure to optimally reuse topsoil and fine-grained soil, and low rates of native species reinvation. Alyeska's visual impact engineering was observed to be very successful, as shown by high first-season survival. However, a related program for establishing willow cuttings was unsuccessful in 1977 but appeared very promising in 1978 largely due to improved management and more favorable growing conditions. Terrain disturbances due to the construction of the fuel gas line, snowpads, and oil spills were examined to identify and describe related environmental impacts on natural vegetation. Proper construction and use of snowpads minimized the extent and severity of disturbance. Crude oil spills, although damaging to vegetation did not cause total kill of vegetation, and certain types of spills may have only short-term effects. Results of restoration research by CRREL along the trans-Alaska pipeline are discussed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1981
- Accession Number
- ADA138426
Entities
People
- Luke Johnson
Organizations
- Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory