Laserfiche WebLink
0 Introduction <br />Successful re-establishment of woody vegetation on surface-mined lands in the United States is <br />problematic. Establishment of aspen and serviceberry has been particularly difficult because these species <br />regenerate from vegetative sprouts from parent roots in the soil which are removed in the mining process. <br />Even when plants are established from residual parent roots, growth is commonly limited by low soil <br />moisture conditions, particularly in the Western US. In addition, woody perennials are heavily browsed <br />by deer and elk. Previous attempts to plant aspen seedlings on reclaimed mines have failed because <br />transplanted root sprouts or seedlings do not have an extensive root system necessary to access water and <br />nutrients for rapid growth. Serviceberry regeneration on reclaimed land also has been shown to be <br />difficult. Competition with fast-growing herbaceous vegetation is an important factor in survival of <br />planted woody perennials throughout the US. Landscape fabric has been used in plantings of woody <br />perennials to limit surrounding vegetation that competes for moisture and nutrients. Machine planting of <br />woody perennials using tractor-drawn equipment for planting and laying of landscape fabric on reclaimed <br />surface mine lands can be a cost-effective method for large scale re-vegetation of reclaimed surface coal <br />mine lands. These systems are commonly used for windbreak planting and are available from state forest <br />nurseries or agricultural extension offices. We simulated the use of commercial machine-planting <br />techniques with landscape fabric to establish aspen and serviceberry on reclaimed mine soils in Colorado. <br />Our preliminary results from the first year of study suggest that this method greatly enhances survival and <br />growth of the woody perennial aspen. <br />Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) and western serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) are important <br />native woody plants occurring throughout the western and northern United States. Of the few broad- <br />leaved hardwood trees in many western forests, aspen is a valuable ecological component of many <br />landscapes, occurring in pure forests as well as growing in association with many coniferous and other <br />hardwood species. Aspen stands provide desirable scenic value, and the diversity of plants growing under <br />aspen supply critical wildlife habitat and food, valuable browsing resources, protect soils from erosion, <br />and help maintain water quality. These features make aspen forests a crucial component of many Western <br />and Northern landscapes. <br />Although in some years aspen does produce abundant crops of viable seed (McDonough 1979), it <br />primarily reproduces from vegetative root suckers throughout most of its range. Occasional seedlings do <br />establish, but seedlings require bare mineral soil and constant moisture to survive (McDonough 1979). <br />These conditions rarely occur in many of the areas where aspen grows today. Aspen typically grows in <br />genetically-identical groups referred to as clones. All stems in a clone sprouted from the roots of parent