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Transplanting Aspen on Mined Lands Using Drip Irrigation <br />Amended Research Proposal to Seneca Coal Company <br />April 14, 2003 <br />Wayne D. Shepperd <br />Research Silviculturist <br />U.S. Forest Service <br />Rocky Mountain Research Station <br />Ft. Collins, CO <br />1.0 INTRODUCTION <br />Aspen (Popu/us tremu/oides Michx.) reproduces primarily by root suckering in the western U.S. Although <br />aspen produces abundant crops of viable seed, dry western climates do not provide the constant moist <br />conditions required for seed germination and first-season growth often enough to result in reliable seedling <br />establishment. This problem is avoided when existing aspen clones vegetatively regenerate, because the <br />extensive pre-existing root system provides ample resources to new sprouts, nurturing them for several years <br />until new roots can develop. Transplanting greenhouse or nursery-grown aspen seedlings into the field has <br />similar problems to those of natural seedlings, indicating that the small root mass of transplanted seedlings is <br />insufficient to absorb enough moisture to maintain the seedlings during periods of summer drought in the wild. <br />In contrast, transplanting sapling-sized aspen in irrigated urban landscapes has not been a problem, because the <br />abundant supplies of water in lawns and landscape beds enable the transplants to thrive. <br />Mimicking the urban environment by providing supplemental irrigation until new roots develop offers a possible <br />solution to re-establish aspen on mined lands. Sprinkler irrigation similar to that in urban landscapes is not <br />feasible on reclaimed mines. However, using drip irrigation technology to deliver precise doses of water to <br />each individually planted tree may offer a solution. Since aspen exist naturally in these landscapes they should <br />be able to survive once sufficient root growth occurs and possibly spread to nearby open areas through natural <br />root suckering. Several key questions need to be investigated to test this hypothesis: <br />1. Will supplemental drip irrigation allow aspen transplants to survive on restored mine lands? <br />2. How much supplemental water will be needed for transplants to survive? <br />3. How long will supplemental irrigation be needed? <br />4. WIII transplants develop sufficient lateral roots to eventually re-establish aspen clones? <br />These questions will be investigated in an experiment to be conducted on the Seneca Coal Co. II-W Mine <br />reclaimed land near Hayden, CO. <br />%wv/.gym.,/+.~ nmlrxnUAy...a. n-~ <br />+ivim.~ <br />