| |
Mulch is applied to landscape plant beds to enhance aesthetics, improve soil characteristics for plant growth, and reduce landscape maintenance through weed suppression. Mulch application modifies urban soil hydrology through precipitation interception and absorption, yet is poorly understood and largely undocumented. Influence of mulch type and depth on stormwater runoff and leachate provides landscape managers and stormwater modelers with information necessary to develop best management practices aimed at minimizing impacts associated with conventional landscape management practices. Eighteen runoff boxes were filled with two sandy soil types representative of those found in newly constructed residential communities in Central Florida. Pine bark, pine straw, mixed hardwood, and synthetic mulch were applied to depths of 0, 7.6, and 15.2 cm. Simulated precipitation was applied at a rate of 5.4 cm hr-1 for durations of 15 minutes to simulate short duration, high intensity rainfall representative of historical trends. Runoff and leachate was affected by a mulch x soil type interaction (P<0.01). Mulch reduced runoff and leachate from low sand soils by 90% and 100%, respectively. Runoff and leachate from high sand soils were not affected by mulch. Results suggest application of mulch may considerably reduce runoff and leachate from similar, low permeable soils and impede nutrient transport mechanisms. |