HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hart, J. B. Articles by Nguyen, P. V. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Hart, J. B., Jr. Articles by Nguyen, P. V. Agricola Articles by Hart, J. B. Articles by Nguyen, P. V.

Soil, Groundwater, and Plant Resources in Sludge-Treated Bigtooth Aspen Sapling Ecosystems

Dep. of Forestry, 126 Natural Resources, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824.

^* Corresponding author (06559jbh{at}msu.edu).

ABSTRACT

Sludge fertilization of a 10-yr-old coppice bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata Michx.) with 500 to 600 kg ha^–1 N, and associated nutrients, resulted in plant, soil, and groundwater responses that are important silviculturally, ecologically, and environmentally. Results included: sapling biomass growth responses of 66% over 4 yr; ecologically significant and environmentally acceptable understory, ground flora, and regeneration responses; increased amounts of soil nutrients in available, cycling, and physiologically active forms; storage of nutrients in the forest floor but not the surface and subsurface soil; increased nutrients in soil water; and significant but environmentally acceptable levels of groundwater contamination. Responses are explained as perturbations in normal ecological processes. Aspen growth responses continued after 4 yr, but are expected to moderate to near unfertilized levels unless nutrients are reapplied.