Survival and growth of pine seedlings on strip-mined sites

Abstract

The effects of cultural treatments including ectomycorrhizal inoculation, chemical weed control, and slow-release fertilization on survival, growth, ectomycorrhizal colonization, and foliar nutrient levels of container-grown white (Pinus strobus L.), loblolly (P. taeda L.), and Virginia pine (P. virginiana Mill.) seedlings were studied on a recontoured and a fiat bench strip-mine site in Southwestern Virginia. One-half of the seedlings was inoculated with Pisolithus tinctorius (Pers.) Coker and Couch (Pt). A 21 g Agriform starter tablet was placed in the soil at a depth of 10 cm within 10-15 cm of each seedling in one-half of the plots at planting. Glyphosate was applied to one-half of each plot prior to planting and again later in the growing season.

First year survival was not different between sites and was not significantly affected by the cultural treatments. Abundant precipitation and high soil moisture levels throughout the initial growing season may have accounted for the excellent first year survival. The combination of chemical weed control and fertilization significantly increased the growth of all three species. Pt inoculation enhanced seedling growth to some extent but high amounts of natural ectomycorrhizal colonization masked some of the effects of Pt. Levels of foliar nitrogen closely reflected the effects of each treatment on seedling growth, indicating that it was the growth-limiting nutrient for pine seedlings on these strip-mined sites.