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All aspen trees weeded to eliminate the effects of weed competition. There were 12 treatments
<br />• examined:
<br />1. II-W Mine, fenced site 1, transplanted aspen plants, roto-cleared/ fresh topsoil, high
<br />irrigation;
<br />2. II-w Mine, fenced site 1, transplanted aspen plants, roto-cleared/ fresh topsoil, medium
<br />irrigation;
<br />3. II-W Mine, fenced site 1, transplanted aspen plants, roto-cleared/ fresh topsoil, no irrigation;
<br />4. II-W Mine, fenced site 1, transplanted aspen plants, roto-cleared/ fresh topsoil, low irrigation;
<br />5. II-W Mine, fenced site 1, transplanted aspen plants, dozer-cleared/stored topsoil, medium
<br />irrigation;
<br />6. II-W Mine, fenced site 1, transplanted aspen plants, dozer-cleared/stored topsoil, no
<br />irrigation;
<br />7. II-W Mine, fenced site 1, transplanted aspen plants, dozer-cleared/stored topsoil, high
<br />irrigation;
<br />8. II-W Mine, fenced site 1, transplanted aspen plants, dozer-cleared/stored topsoil, high
<br />irrigation;
<br />9. II-W Mine, fenced site 1, root segment natural aspen sprouts, roto-cleared/ fresh topsoil, no
<br />irrigation;
<br />10. II-W Mine, fenced site 1, root segment natural aspen sprouts, dozer-cleared/stored topsoil,
<br />no irrigation;
<br />11. II-W Mine, fenced site 2, planted potted aspen seedlings, dozer-cleared/stored topsoil, no
<br />irrigation; and
<br />12. Yoast Mine, non-fenced site, natural aspen sprouts. (studied only in 2005, severe damage from
<br />ungulates)
<br />Results of the initial 2005/2006 study concluded:
<br />• • A clear finding from the 2005 field study verified that fencing is important for adequate survival
<br />and growth of aspen by preventing wild ungulate grazing.
<br />• The importance of irrigation in aspen establishment is uncertain given the adequate natural
<br />rainfall the first two years of this experiment and the conflicting adverse effect of saline irrigation
<br />water supply. Some growth parameters and survival of aspen were inversely related to the
<br />amount of supplemental irrigation, likely a consequence of the high salinity of the irrigation water.
<br />• Initial findings of this study suggest that the best opportunity to obtain aspen reproduction on
<br />reclaimed surface-mined lands is by using fresh roto-cleared topsoil from original aspen stands to
<br />obtain sufficient root sprouting, but were not able to examine that possibility in the study.
<br />• Weeding appears to enhance growth and survival of aspen, suggesting weed competition for
<br />available soil moisture. Available soil moisture was higher in weeded plots, and these trees
<br />generally grew better and had higher rates of survival.
<br />• Transplanted sprouts, regardless of irrigation treatment, showed considerable transplant injury
<br />during 2005, but little additional injury or mortality was evident during 2006. Planted aspen
<br />requires additional number of plants for survival and additional time for recovery from transplant
<br />shock.
<br />• Potted aspen from nursery stock with a small amount of weed block fabric grew well on dozer-
<br />cleared/stored soil without irrigation during the two years with adequate rainfall.
<br />Response of Transplanted Aepen to Drip Irrigation on Reclaimed Mine Lands, November 2007
<br />Based on the finding for 2005-2006, several new questions regarding aspen growth and survival on
<br />reclaimed lands arose, and follow-up research was conducted using the same II-W Mine plots where
<br />• the 2005-2006 study was conducted
<br />TR-62 22-3-7 Revised 5/09
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