Dustin Golembiewski
Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Graduate Research Assistant / M.S. in Range & Wildlife Management / Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute
Natural resource extraction activities are on the rise throughout Texas. Topsoil disturbances that accompany these activities can be damaging to biodiversity. Prior to beginning oil and gas extraction, it is commonly recommended that topsoil stockpiles be created to aid in the re-establishment of plant communities at a site. Our study area, a retired fracking pond, was restored in 2017 with stock-piled topsoil collected prior to construction. We segregated the existing stock-pile into 3 layers that were 1.5 meters in thickness and distributed these layers (along with an unamended control surface) in separate strips over the pond. Each of the 5 surfaces was split into subplots and seeded with a mixture of (1) 13 native grasses, (2) 13 native grasses plus an annual warm-season grass cover crop, or (3) non-seeded. This research aims to quantitatively assess the common recommendations of stockpiling topsoil and seeding native grasses at restoration sites in South Texas. We will not only determine if stockpiling is helpful for restoring native grasslands, but also if different portions of the stockpile are equally useful after sitting for 5 years.
