POST-HARVEST, PRE-RESTORATION SOILS - Thick, deep phragmites rhizome networks (from soil surface to about 12" or more deeper, from trials in western basin) - lying over (up to) 30' of Carlisle muck - peat):
- East basin soils to 300' deep, west from Marsh eastern edge: An Argo(?) (Bob Zeitz?) blazed a trail from the Rte 44 harvest area's W edge, toward Shipman Pond. So half-way to Shipman from the Marsh's eastern edge (about 300'), the ground is nearly all "dry" - you can sit anywhere. Just a few puddles, the size of frying pans.
- West basin (Harbor East) soils to 300' into the marsh, east from Marsh western edge: About the same as above, but interspersed with wet, muddy, shallow pools.
Thick phragmites rhizome networks may be supporting field equipment. If phrag is dead from spraying and rhizomes degrade, surface soils may get mucky again. Will add to monitoring "before and after" comparisons.
SALINITY: At Rte 44, about 120' into the Marsh, salinity (conductivity) was the highest (2.0-2.2) of all readings taken for this study (2014-2015) in the Marsh, except for just off of Corduroy Road (Marsh center, and somewhat of a barricade between the east and west basins). At Corduroy Road, on the east, salinity was 7.0-11.0, where planted trees died. On the west, the highest was 3.0, at just one point.
The "good range" for plants is supposed to be around 0.2-1.2 or 0.5-1.5, depending on the source - gardeners or natural resource managers, respectively. Each plant species will have its own salt-tolerance range.
HARVEST:
POWER:
FIELD EQUIPMENT
Phragmites australis tons per acre in Mentor Marsh for the October 18-20 harvest was calculated/estimated to be (estimated accuracy +/- 10-15%):
- East basin (where stem counts average 225 per m3): 10 tons per acre, and 8.5 tons per acre "harvestable" - since, to harvest efficiently, the cutter should not reach down to bare soil.
- West basin (where stem counts average 137 per m3): 7 tons per acre, and 6 tons per acre "harvestable" - since, to harvest efficiently, the cutter should not reach down to bare soil.
MONITORING
Bio-gas was produced lab-scale in Ohio (2013) and Belgium facilities (2014).
Bio-gas and other byproducts produced will be posted here soon.
COMING: Specs and comparisons - Loglogic Softrac Cut-and-Collect system - and Marsh Master
[THIS PAGE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION]
Data were gathered and statistics calculated by Midwest Sustainable Solutions, contracting under the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.