Evaluating the efficacy of wood shreds for mitigating erosion

J Environ Manage. 2009 Feb;90(2):779-85. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2008.01.006. Epub 2008 Feb 21.

Abstract

An erosion control product made by shredding on-site woody materials was evaluated for mitigating erosion through a series of rainfall simulations. Tests were conducted on bare soil and soil with 30, 50, and 70% cover on a coarse and a fine-grained soil. Results indicated that the wood product known as wood shreds reduced runoff and soil loss from both soil types. Erosion mitigation ranged from 60 to nearly 100% depending on the soil type and amount of concentrated flow and wood shred cover. Wood shreds appear to be a viable alternative to agricultural straw. A wood shred cover of 50% appears optimal, but the appropriate coverage rate will depend on the amount of expected concentrated flow and soil type.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Conservation of Natural Resources*
  • Soil*
  • Wood*

Substances

  • Soil