Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century

Seeking to Save Soil on Slopes

When it comes to controlling erosion on slopes created or left bare by construction, you can’t beat a good stand of grass. But as contractors will tell you, getting that grass established can be a challenge.

Numerous seed-sowing techniques and commercial erosion control products exist, but there hasn’t been an in-depth study to investigate which mixes of techniques and products work best in Alabama—until now.

In a three-year AAES-funded project, a multidisciplinary team of Auburn University and U.S. Forest Service researchers is evaluating 14 different combinations of planting methods and mulching materials to determine the most effective formulas for establishing vegetation on disturbed slopes and ensuring long-term soil stability.

The scientists—including AU biosystems and civil engineers, agronomists, turfgrass specialists and landscape architects—are conducting the study on 25- by 10-foot sloped experimental plots at the E.V. Smith Research Center in Shorter and at the AU Turfgrass Research Unit. Biosystems engineer Mark Dougherty says the study’s findings will benefit engineers, contractors and, ultimately, the environment.