Aspen Bibliography

Rate of Growth and Composition of Wood of Quaking and Largetooth Aspen in Relation to Soil Fertility

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters

Volume

40

Issue

2

First Page

245

Last Page

250

Publication Date

1951

Abstract

The growing shortage of wood has recently created considerable interest in the silvicultural possibilities of aspen species. Both Populus tremuloides and Populus grandidentata show definite preference for the moist soils of lowlands and swamp borders. Therefore, it has been repeatedly suggested that these trees may serve as a suitable crop for the immense acreage of poorly drained deforested lands of central Wisconsin. The materialization of such a plan, however, requires knowledge of the minimum soil-fertility level which would assure a reasonably high rate of growth of aspen and the production of pulpwood of satisfactory quality. This problem was investigated during the summer of 1948 in Adams and Wood counties, Wisconsin. The unusual uniformity of siliceous substratum and the frequent occurrence of a favorably located ground-water table in this area provided conditions ideal for study of the growth effects of soil nutrients. In order to minimize the modifying influence of light, the investigation was confined largely to well-stocked semi-mature stands ranging in age from 20 to 29 years. In view of previously gained experience (6), particular attention in this study was devoted to the determination of alpha-cellulose in wood and trace elements in soils.

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