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*[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316607324_Application_of_denitrifying_wood_chip_bioreactors_for_management_of_residential_non-point_sources_of_nitrogen nitrogen] | *[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316607324_Application_of_denitrifying_wood_chip_bioreactors_for_management_of_residential_non-point_sources_of_nitrogen nitrogen] | ||
*[https://scholarship.libraries.rutgers.edu/discovery/fulldisplay/alma991031549942904646/01RUT_INST:ResearchRepository runoff from wood facilities] | *[https://scholarship.libraries.rutgers.edu/discovery/fulldisplay/alma991031549942904646/01RUT_INST:ResearchRepository runoff from wood facilities] | ||
+ | *[https://www.conteches.com/stormwater-article/article/180/selecting-the-right-mulch-for-your-biofiltration-practice] | ||
+ | **Wood mulch is beneficial due to the additional treatment performance it provides to a biofiltration practice. The media stays protected, and infiltration rates maintained while most of the sedimentation occurs on the surface of the mulch within a biofiltration practice. Published research supports greater metals adsorption capacity for hardwood mulch due to its intrinsic properties including humic compounds consisting of carboxyl and hydroxyl functional groups, and greater cation exchange capacity, surface area and pH. Wood mulch is also known to capture oil and grease among other organic compounds. Wood mulch is also a host for microbial and macro-organism activity which supports plant health and pollutant degradation. Wood mulch sustains organic-based removal mechanisms as the mulch is decomposed and replenishes organic material within the media, also preserving water-holding capacity. | ||
===Effects of wood chips on soil physical and hydraulic properties=== | ===Effects of wood chips on soil physical and hydraulic properties=== |
This page provides information on wood chips. While providing extensive information on wood chips, there is a section focused specifically on stormwater applications for wood chips.
Wood chips are small- to medium-sized pieces of wood formed by cutting or chipping larger pieces of wood such as trees, branches, logging residues, stumps, roots, and wood waste. They include bark, wood, and often leaves. Wood chips are rich in lignin, suberin, tannins. Common mulch sources include cedar, cypress, straw/hay, pine, and spruce.
In stormwater applications, wood chips are used as a mulch to provide one or more beneficial functions. Potential benefits of wood chips include but are not limited to the following. They
Physical and chemical properties of wood chips vary depending on the source, method of production, and age. Because of this variability, this page focuses on generic properties of wood chips used as mulch, except where otherwise stated.
This section includes a discussion of chemical and physical properties of wood chips, and potential contaminants in wood chips,
Chemical and physical properties of wood chips
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In this section we provide information on effects of wood chips on pollutant attenuation and on physical properties of soil and engineered media.
Recommended values for wood chips used in a growth media (Source: see reference list in this section) | |
pH | |
Electrical conductivity (ms/cm) | |
Cation exchange capacity (meq/100g) | |
Nitrogen (%) | |
Phosphorus (%) | |
Potassium (%) | |
Copper (% minimum) | |
C:N ratio (minimum) | |
Lignin (%) | |
Total organic matter (% minimum) | |
Moisture (%) | |
Ash content (%) | |
Impurities | |
Fiber content | |
Expansion | l/kg |
Water holding capacity | l/kg |
Prabhu and Thomas (2002) provide an extensive discussion of wood chips decomposition.
Keep wood mulch away from the trunks of trees to prevent rot. If you are concerned about termites, use cedar mulch or keep other wood mulches at least 6 inches (15 cm.) from the foundation. Let your mulch age if you aren’t sure of your source. This allows time for any sprays that were used on the tree or diseases it may have had to break down.[3]
Read more at Gardening Know How: Types Of Bark Mulch: Tips For Using Wood Mulch In Gardens https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/mulch/bark-mulch-in-gardens.htm