A mail survey of about 1,000 individuals, was conducted for the purpose of determining the status of landfill vegetation growth. Of the 500 people responding, about 75 percent reported no problems. Twenty-five percent reported problems on landfills and 7 percent reported problems with vegetation adjacent to landfills. Site visits were selected to represent the nine major climatic regions as defined by Trewartha. About 60 individual landfills were visited, and comparisons of the quality of soil atmospheres were made in the root zones of healthy specimens and individuals of the same species that were dead or dying. Comparisons of soil quality were made likewise. Where landfill gases were high in concentration, elevated concentrations of available ammonia-N, moisture and the trace elements iron, manganese, copper, and zinc were found--changes similar to those found in flooded soils. Also, high soil temperatures were found associated with landfill gases in a number of cases. Landfill vegetation growth conditions were generally similar for most of the climatic regions visited.

Grant no. R 803762-02. Issued May 1978. Includes bibliographical references (pages 51-57). Microfiche.