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• die. It is expected that surviving plants should do well in the second year following <br />first year transplant shock. Monitoring should continue to determine whether <br />supplemental watering is needed for a second growing season with water levels <br />reduced to a point that the lowest watering treatment approximates the natural <br />precipitation received during the 2005 growing season. We recommend that water <br />application be reduced to fewer days per week to accomplish this. <br />Root growth: Survival and growth of individual aspen plants is only a part of <br />successful re-establishment of the species on reclaimed lands. The re-establishment <br />of the extensive lateral root systems that existed in clones that were previously on <br />these sites is crucial to the long-term persistence of aspen on these sites. The <br />density of aspen sprout populations naturally deGine over time (Shepperd 1993). <br />Therefore it is imperative that newly planted aspen begin to expand their roots <br />systems so that they might establish new sprouts if the planted trees die. We <br />propose to quantify the growth and spread of lateral root systems from planted <br />• aspen by excavating and washing soil from the roots of selected plants examined for <br />growth during 2005 to quantify root growth of these trees under the different <br />irrigation, soil, and transplant treatments. It is particularly crucial for transplanted <br />cuttings and potted plants, to see if roots have extended beyond the planting hole for <br />transplants or beyond the potting mix for potted aspen. If lateral root development is <br />detected, then experiments to stimulate additional suckering should be done to <br />investigate ways to expand the number of aspen stems on these sites. Given known <br />mortality rates of young aspen (Shepperd 1993) subsequent root development and <br />suckering will be necessary for aspen to be sustained and successfully re- <br />established on these reclaimed mine sites. <br />Phvsiological status: Although monitoring of leaf water potential gave an initial <br />indication of water stress condition of the plants under specific irrigation schedules, <br />additional physiological conditions of the plant vital to survival are unknown. Other <br />physiological conditions, such as stomata) conductance, photosynthesis, and <br />i respiration, may show response to drought prior to indigtion by plant water status. <br />10 <br />