HR: 1340h
AN: H53A-1208    [Abstracts]
TI: Effects of Coal-Bed Methane Discharge Waters on Soils and Vegetation Diversity
AU: * Stearns, M
EM: maria_stearns@yahoo.com
AF: U.S. Geological Survey, MS 413, Box 25046, DFC, Denver, CO 80225 United States
AU: Tindall, J A
EM: jtindall@usgs.gov
AF: U.S. Geological Survey, MS 413, Box 25046, DFC, Denver, CO 80225 United States
AU: Friedel, M J
EM: mfriedel@usgs.gov
AF: U.S. Geological Survey, MS 413, Box 25046, DFC, Denver, CO 80225 United States
AU: Cronin, G
EM: gcronin@carbon.cudenver.edu
AF: Univ. Colorado, Denver, Dept. of Biology, Campus Box 171, Denver, CO 80217 United States
AU: Berquist, E
EM: eberquist@csu.edu
AF: Dept. of Agric. and Resource Economics, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80523 United States
AB: Coal bed methane co-produced discharge waters in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming, resulting from extraction of methane from coal seams, have become a priority for chemical, hydrological and biological research during the last few years. Soil and vegetation samples were taken from impacted and reference sites (upland elevations and wetted gully) to investigate impacts of CBM discharge waters on soil physical and chemical properties and on native and introduced vegetation richness and diversity. Results indicate a significant increase of salinity and sodicity within local soil ecosystems at sites directly exposed to CBM discharge waters. Elevated concentrations of sodium in the soil appear to be due to consistent exposure to CBM waters. Clay-loam soils in the study area, which have a much larger specific surface area than the sandy soils, readily allow sodium ions to adsorb quickly to exchange sites. There was no significant relation between increasing water SAR values and increasing sediment SAR values downstream; however, soils exposed to the CBM water ranged from the moderate to severe SAR hazard index. Native vegetation species richness was highest at the reference (upland and gully) and impacted upland sites. The impacted gully had the greatest percent composition of introduced vegetation species. Salt-tolerant species had the greatest richness at the impacted gully, implicating a potential threat of invasion and competition to established native vegetation. CBM waters could have detrimental impacts to the local ecosystem, causing dispersion of soils and making it difficult for native vegetation to exist. These waters could also have a devastating effect on agricultural production operations and long-term water quality.
DE: 1806 Chemistry of fresh water
DE: 1829 Groundwater hydrology
DE: 1831 Groundwater quality
DE: 1884 Water supply
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting