DirtGlue Polymer Prevents Erosion After Wildfires
Posted by Joseph Filosi on Wed, Dec 30, 2009 @ 03:39 PM
Every year wildfires consume many millions of acres of forest in the USA. This represents a serious loss of valuable natural resources. Fires affect forest communities in many ways. In the short-term, fire consumes vegetation, downed woody debris, and soil organic matter. Fire-caused changes in soil productivity and forest structure directly affect future vegetation development, which, in turn, influences soil loss to erosion. These and other immediate effects of fire continue to shape forests long after any flames have passed (footnote 1).
After wildfires, the understory of the forest is destroyed. The plants that hold the topsoil in place preventing erosion are gone and a layer of ash covers the ground. If the ash and topsoil stay in place long enough for new growth then all is well but more often than not thunderstorms wash much valuable topsoil and the ash that covers it down slope into streams and rivers. The clean water in these mountain streams becomes turbid with ash and soil particles, killing fish and other aquatic life. The ash and soil eventally settle out as sediment. This sediment destroys the clean gravel base that typically makes up the mountain streams and rivers preventing or minimizing spawning. No spawning and the fish populations are further reduced.
This common phenomenon can be controlled through the use of water-based acrylic polymers. The ultimate goal is regrowth of the small understory plants to prevent erosion naturally. The application of the water-based acrylic polymer will glue the ash and topsoil in place long enough to permit the desired regrowth.
Typical applications of polymer can be accomplished with tanks, pumps and hoses where terrain is not to difficult. In extremely difficult terrain aerial applications may be made. These applications can be made with dilute polymer alone or with native seeds to speed recovery. DirtGlue Enterprises offers an environmentally friendly, water-based, acrylic polymer emulsion with the capabilities important for this type of application.
1. Literature cited, Forest Fire in the US Northern Rockies