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Show expected that the bulk of this requirement will be supplied by member firms of the Pacific Pa-cific Seedsmen's Association, Associa-tion, seed growers throughout through-out the western United States and western Canada. Depending upon the actual location, the seeding will be accomplished by helicopter, hydro seeders and even farm equipment, whichever is most convenient for the particular par-ticular site. Mulch will be a necessary ingredient to the program. After extensive investigation, investiga-tion, it was found that only barley straw could serve this Important function. The reason: barley straw proved to be the only mulch or seed cover that the caribou would not eat! It is estimated that millions mil-lions of dollars have already been spent in the ecological research programs necessary neces-sary to the eventual success of the Alaskan pipeline venture. ven-ture. Studies will continue for years as agronomists and seed research specialists watch the results of the world's most ambitious re-vegetation re-vegetation undertaking. SEEDING PLAYS VITAL ROLE IN ALASKA PIPELINE Revegetation of the 800 mile long Alaska Pipeline will begin early this summer, sum-mer, culminating one of the world's greatest seed research re-search projects. The ecological eco-logical solution, once a major ma-jor factor in the original dispute between environmentalists environ-mentalists and the pipeline proponents, is about to be proven as reseeding efforts-start efforts-start on the right-of-way of the first access roads now under construction. The pipeline corridor across the State of Alaska will eventually involve over 29,000 acres. Completion of the gigantic project is now estimated for mid-1977.Re-vegetation, necessary to prevent soil erosion and maintain the ecological balance, bal-ance, will be a herculean task and must be conducted immediately following fiie construction of each section. The reseeding is complicated complica-ted by the fact that the pipeline pipe-line will stretch over three mountain ranges and elevations eleva-tions from sea level to 4,000 feet. In addition, the agea covers climatic zones that range from Arctic Tundra to those approximating the mid-West. Air temperatures of the various locations are subject to severe fluctuations. fluctua-tions. In the Yukon, for example, ex-ample, summer temperatures tempera-tures can reach as high as 100 degrees and fall to 70 below in winter. Research Into the varieties varie-ties of seed needed for successful suc-cessful revegetation under these conditions were begun in 1969 by the University of Alaska and several major oil companies. It has since been determined, states Dr. Charles Logsdonof theAlas-ka theAlas-ka Crop Improvement Association, Asso-ciation, that a number of different seed varieties in various mixtures will be required re-quired for the diverse soils Including permafrost and climates. Annual type grasses grass-es including ryegrass and oats will serve as a general nurse crop for perennial mixtures of fine and hard fescues, Timothy, Brome-grass, Brome-grass, Meadow Foxtail, cot-tongrass, cot-tongrass, Kentucky Blue--grass and others. A further criteria of the selections was the varieties' ability to adapt to a unique circumstance. Once the" pipeline Is operational, the " oil will flow at a high tern-' perature causing the soil around the pipeline to be continually warm, while the air temperature will be generally gen-erally cold. This produces a problem whereby most plants, either dormant or growing, are subjected roughly to the same temperatures temp-eratures in the soil and in the air. In the case of the pipeline site, revegetation will require seed varieties that will tolerate this rather abnormal situation of warm ground and cold air. Early estimates of the initial ini-tial seeding of the pipeline's 300 foot wide swath across Alaska call for a total of 1.9 million pounds of seed. It is contemplated that upon completion of the project over 5 million pounds of various var-ious varieties will be needed to revegetate the area. It is In the Middle Ages, hospitals were called hotels today, hotels ho-tels like Holiday Inns are called hospitable! |