Journal article
Pruning stormwater biofilter vegetation influences water quality improvement differently in Carex appressa and Ficinia nodosa
T Herzog, A Mehring, B Hatt, R Ambrose, L Levin, B Winfrey
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING | ELSEVIER GMBH | Published : 2021
Abstract
The maintenance of stormwater biofilter vegetation is conducted under local guidelines, which often include seasonal pruning. However, the effects that pruning has on water quality improvement remain unknown. This study used experimental columns to investigate the effects of pruning on effluent concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and metals when planted with two common biofilter plant species, Carex appressa and Ficinia nodosa. Effluent was monitored in pruned, non-pruned, and unplanted control columns during a 70-day regrowth period, with monthly composite water sampling encompassing the flushed saturated zone water and effluent of each column to best represent a biofilter during a stor..
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Awarded by U.S. National Science Foundation Partnerships in International Research and Education (PIRE) grant
Funding Acknowledgements
This study was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation Partnerships in International Research and Education (PIRE) grant OISE-1243543, which was awarded to the University of California Irvine and subaward OISE-1204866 to L.A.L. We acknowledge our fellow PIRE team members for their support, particularly Megan Rippy and Stanley Grant. At Monash University, Richard Williamson and Tony Brosinsky helped tremendously with the column construction and lab setup. Perran Cook, of Monash University's Water Studies Centre, provided support for water quality analyses and guidance on experimental design. We would also like to thank Daniel Guttmann for his help dosing the columns.