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<br />Fungal inoculation of seedlings is a relatively new technique which can <br />improve seedling growth but not necessarily survival. Most h?gher plants <br />growing under natural conditions have mycorrhizal fungi growing <br />symbiotically with their roots. Disturbed areas lack the fungi and the <br />return migration of the fungi into the area is usually extremely slow. <br />Fungi increase nutrient and water uptake by increasing the absorptive <br />surface area of roots. They also offer some pathogenic proteci:ion and may <br />increase plant tolerance to drought, temperature and pH extremes. Thus, <br />innoculation with mycorrhizal fungi may result in a significant increase in <br />both survival rate and growth rate. <br />Soil Water Retention <br />Summer drought periods of up to 4 to 5 weeks are common at high elevations <br />and contribute significantly to the loss of transplanted tree seedlings. <br />Tree seedlings planted in mine waste are normally planted within soil as a <br />potting medium in an effort to improve water retention and availability. <br />Drought periods, nevertheless still take their toll. <br />Hydrogel, a product of Union Carbide, absorbs many times its weight of <br />water, retains that water in the soil against normal evaporation and <br />percolation losses, but releases it upon demand to plant roots. In 1976, 90 <br />seedlings were planted with Hydrogel mixed into the potting soil at the Urad <br />mine tailing area. Results were never determined because the plot was <br />destroyed by an avalanche the following year. <br />9.2.3 High Altitude Seed Source Research <br />Another research project (begun in 1974) was designed to enlarge the efforts <br />at determining which commercially available species and varieties are best <br />adapted to high altitudes. The objectives were to select varieties for <br />their adaptability, cross them, and produce seed for high-altitude <br />vegetation programs. Native species were included when possible. <br />Approximately 50 different species and varieties were planted in each of <br />five high-altitude sites which included the Climax and Urad mines. <br />32 <br />