NATIVE GRASS CULTIVARS FOR MULTIPLE REVEGETATION GOALS ON A PROPOSED MINE SITE IN SOUTH-CENTRAL ALASKA

Native grasses may be used for multiple, sometimes conflicting, goals in revegetation projects. Woody plants are frequently desired for moos e browse and timber in Alaska, but naturally occurring Calamagrostis c anadensis (bluejoint reedgrass) hinders the establishment of these des ired species. Seven grass cultivars of Alaskan origin were evaluated f or their ability (1) to stabilize the soil, (2) to reduce regeneration of C. canadensis, (3) to allow openings for natural colonization, and (4) to permit establishment of desirable rooted cuttings. Cultivars t ested are ''Arctared'' Festuca rubra (red fescue), ''Alyeska'' Arctagr ostis latifolia (polargrass), ''Nugget'' Poa pratensis (bluegrass) ''N orcoast'' Deschampsia beringensis (Bering hairgrass), ''Nortran'' Desc hampsia caespitosa (tufted hairgrass), ''Gruening'' Poa alpina (alpine bluegrass), and ''Sourdough'' Calamagrostis canadensis. These were te sted as single species and in multispecies mixtures, with two seeding rates of the multi-species mixture (0.5, 0.25 seeds/cm(2)). Experiment al plots included unfertilized, unfertilized with rooted Salicaceae cu ttings, and fertilized (350 kg/ha 20:20:10). A control plot was not se eded. After three growing seasons, Nortran D. caespitosa and Arctared F. rubra were the most successful cultivars. They provided 87% to 98% of the seeded-species cover for soil stabilization and suppressed C. c anadensis on the fertilized subplots without reducing species diversit y. Gruening Poa alpina was less than 3 cm tall, and it helped stabiliz e the site without interfering with woody plant establishment. Althoug h cuttings were shorter under some seed treatments compared to the non seeded control, heights of cuttings were not related to cover of seede d cultivars (r = 0.09, p > 0.55) but were positively correlated with t otal vascular plant cover (r = 0.61, p < 0.001).