This paper published by Restoration Ecology outlines a study performed in Spain that evaluated a procedure to select suitable native species for roadslope revegetation, validated the procedure by means of field sowing experiments, and assessed the cost effectiveness of using native seed mixes as compared to commercial ones.
Economic studies
Cost-Effective Native Seed Mix Design and First-Year Management
The paper is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository. The objective was to compare native plant density, canopy cover, and cost effectiveness with and without establishment mowing for three different seed mixes that differed in grass-to-forb ratio and soil type customization.
Creating Economically and Ecologically Sustainable Pollinator Habitat
This document prepared by Florida Department of Transportation evaluates a cost-effective strategy for creating habitat for pollinators/beneficial insects in the ROW beyond the back-slope.
Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) for INDOT Roadsides
This study performed by the Joint Transportation Research Program at Purdue University in conjunction with the Indiana Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration evaluated three IVM tools: herbicide, mowing, and native species. The effectiveness and costs of each are compared.
Shrub Willows Make for Effective, Inexpensive Snow Fences in Minnesota
Researchers at the Minnesota Department of Transportation planted shrub willows as living snow fences along U.S. 14 in Waseca, Minnesota. The hybrid willow shrub fences, which cost much less to install than traditional snow fence plants and grow to serviceable size several years faster, trapped up to 3 metric tons of snow in their second season.