Forest Ecology and Management 261 (2011) 640–648 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Forest Ecology and Management journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/foreco Effects of fertilization and irrigation on American sycamore and black locust planted on a reclaimed surface mine in Appalachia Joshua S. Brinks a , John M. Lhotka a,∗ , Christopher D. Barton a , Richard C. Warner b , Carmen T. Agouridis b a University of Kentucky, Department of Forestry, 105 Thomas Poe Cooper Building, Lexington, KY 40546-0073, United States b University of Kentucky, Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, 128 C.E. Barnhart Bldg., Lexington, KY 40546-0276, United States article info Article history: Received 13 August 2010 Received in revised form 16 November 2010 Accepted 19 November 2010 Available online 14 December 2010 Keywords: Short rotation silviculture Woody biomass Biomass allocation Reforestation abstract Short rotation woody biofuel plantations on reclaimed surface mines in Appalachia can diversify domes- tic energy supplies and facilitate the reforestation of these disturbed lands. This study examined growth, survival, biomass accumulation and allocation, and nitrogen concentrations following two growing sea- sons in American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis L.) and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) seedlings receiving irrigation, granular fertilization, and irrigation + fertilization compared with untreated con- trols. Fertilization increased basal diameter, height, and stem mass of American sycamore following two growing seasons. Increased stem production was attributed to accelerated development and not shifts in biomass allocation due to treatment. Irrigation and irrigation + fertilization treatments did not enhance growth or biomass accumulation of American sycamore. Similarly, black locust basal diameter, height, and stem mass did not differ among the treatments. Browse surveys showed that more than 76% of black locust seedlings experienced arrested or retrogressed growth due to browse; less than 3% of Amer- ican sycamores were browsed. This intensive browse by ungulates, likely including reintroduced elk, may have affected growth differences among species and confounded the effects of treatments on black locust. Survival was unaffected by treatment in both species, but mean survival was greatest in American sycamore (80%) compared to black locust (58%). Per tree total nitrogen uptake was highest in fertilized American sycamore (7.9 g) and lowest in irrigated American sycamore (0.9 g). The results of our study suggest that granular fertilizer applications can accelerate seedling growth on reclaimed surface mines in the Appalachian region. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Woody biomass is the leading renewable energy supply in the United States. The United States Department of Energy fore- casts the potential need for a billion ton annual biomass supply by 2030 (Perlack et al., 2005). Increased woody biomass demand will be met through fuel reduction treatments of natural stands, utilization of logging and wood processing residues, and biofuel plantings (Perlack et al., 2005). Woody biofuel plantations provide an excellent opportunity to diversify and increase domestic energy feedstocks (Johnson et al., 2007). Non-woody crops such as corn (Zea mays) provide annual biomass yields, but established peren- nial woody crops can reduce long term erosion, runoff, and nutrient loss with longer rotations (Nyakatawa et al., 2006). ∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 859 257 9701; fax: +1 859 323 1031. E-mail addresses: jbrinks@gmail.com (J.S. Brinks), john.lhotka@uky.edu (J.M. Lhotka), barton@uky.edu (C.D. Barton), rwarner@bae.uky.edu (R.C. Warner), cagourid@bae.uky.edu (C.T. Agouridis). Establishment of short rotation woody plantations on reclaimed surface mines and other marginal lands presents an excellent opportunity to increase biomass production without diverting current agricultural or naturally forested lands to plantations (Casselman et al., 2006; Niu and Duiker, 2006). In Appalachia, more than 600,000 ha have been mined for coal since 1980 under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act and greater than 10,000 additional ha are being mined each year (Office of Surface Mining, 2008). The majority of surface mines in Appalachian were forested prior to mining, but many have been reclaimed as grass- lands. Therefore, in addition to utilizing reclaimed surface mines for energy feedstocks, woody biofuel plantations could facilitate the reforestation of these lands. Intensive management of forest plantations can greatly increase biomass production (Coyle and Coleman, 2005; Cobb et al., 2008; Coyle et al., 2008). Fertilization can enhance nutrient availabil- ity and irrigation can mitigate the impacts of severe drought (Coleman et al., 2004). Mechanical and chemical control of weedy competition can increase productivity of target species (Petersen et al., 2008). However, early fertilization of tree plantations may exacerbate herbaceous competition and lower biomass produc- 0378-1127/$ – see front matter © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2010.11.018