TY - JOUR AU - Grantz, David A. AU - Vaughn, David L. AU - Farber, Robert J. AU - Kim, Bong AU - VanCuren, Tony AU - Campbell, Rich AU - Bainbridge, David AU - Zink, Tom TI - DustBusters reduce pollution, wind erosion: Though difficult to achieve, revegetation is best way to stabilize soil JF - California Agriculture JO - Calif Agr Y1 - 1998/07/01 VL - 52 IS - 4 SP - 8 EP - 13 PB - University of California Agriculture and Nature Resources SN - 0008-0845 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3733/ca.v052n04p8 L3 - 10.3733/ca.v052n04p8 AB - Surface disturbance in arid regions — whether it results from abandoned agriculture, overgrazing or recreational activities — often sets the stage for windblown fugitive dust. Revegetation provides the most sustainable soil stabilization but is difficult to achieve in any given year. Widely varying environmental conditions and soil factors make direct seeding unreliable, and transplanting of nursery-grown shrubs does not assure plant establishment, even with supplemental irrigation. In occasional years plants can be successfully established, particularly Atriplex canescens, in the western Mojave Desert. Once vegetation becomes established, it successfully stabilizes the soil surface and reduces blowing dust. However, because successful establishment is infrequent, reliable mitigation of fugitive dust requires that other techniques be used as well.