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Expanded shale as a soil amendment for the Rocky Mountain region

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dc.contributor.authorAnderson, Cassandra, author
dc.contributor.authorKlett, Jim, advisor
dc.contributor.authorBousselot, Jennifer, committee member
dc.contributor.authorBarbarick, Ken, committee member
dc.date.accessioned2018-09-10T20:05:12Z
dc.date.available2018-09-10T20:05:12Z
dc.date.issued2018
dc.description.abstractLandscape soils are rarely ideal, consequently there has been abundant research about amendments for soil improvement. This research project focused on the use of compost, a long-standing successful amendment as well as expanded shale, an amendment that originated in the construction industry. Expanded shale is a shale rock that is heated to very high temperatures causing the material to fracture and create small pores. These pores make the material lighter in weight and those pores help to improve soil porosity and potentially can act to hold some levels of moisture and nutrients. The study began in October of 2015 and data was taken in the growing seasons of 2016 and 2017 from April 2016 to October 2016 and from April 2017 through September 2017. In this project six different treatments of varying levels of compost and expanded shale were incorporated into a research site at Colorado State University. The treatments were 1) 0 cm of expanded shale and 5 cm of compost (0 ES: 5 C), 2) 2.5 cm of expanded shale and 5 cm of compost (2.5 ES:5 C), 3) 5 cm of expanded shale and 5 cm of compost (5 ES:5 C), 4) 7.6 cm of expanded shale and 5 cm of compost (7.6 ES:5 C), 5) 5 cm of expanded shale only (5 ES:0 C), and 6) 7.6 cm of expanded shale only (7.6 ES:5 C). Soil moisture data was taken weekly in 2017 and physical measurements and photographic growth measurements were obtained during each growing season. A destructive harvest was performed in October and November of 2017 where top growth and roots were harvested separately and measured before being oven dried for weight analysis. Statistical analysis did not demonstrate significant differences between treatment types, however the soil amendments were not detrimental to plant growth. There is a lot of room for potential future study of expanded shale as a soil amendment for rocky mountain region soils and beyond.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediummasters theses
dc.identifierAnderson_colostate_0053N_15009.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/191417
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartof2000-2019
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.titleExpanded shale as a soil amendment for the Rocky Mountain region
dc.typeText
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplineHorticulture and Landscape Architecture
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.S.)

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