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Abstract
In the upper Midwest, climate change is expected to result in longer periods of drought during the growing season and increased summer temperatures. These pose a particular threat to seedlings, both natural and artificial regeneration, which are more susceptible to drought than mature trees. Biochar, a product created through pyrolysis of organic material (including wood and wood waste), has been proposed as a soil amendment that can both increase the water-holding capacity of soil (and therefore increase the drought tolerance of seedlings in that soil) and increase carbon storage. In this experiment, we used a greenhouse setting to test whether the addition of biochar to sandy soil would increase the survival of jack pine (Pinus banksiana) seedlings under drought conditions. We tested three amounts of biochar (none, 3% biochar by weight, and 6% biochar by weight) in two separate experiments. The first experiment manipulated timing of drought onset; seedlings received a sufficient amount of water until week 3, 7, or 11 after planting and then no water after that. We evaluated effects of both biochar and drought timing on seedling survival. In the second experiment seedlings received water throughout the experiment, either in low (20 ml) or high (200 ml) amounts every other day. In this experiment, we assessed the effects of both biochar and water amount on seedling growth and on seedling physiological processes.
Parent Publication
Citation
Reuling, Laura F.; Toczydlowski, Alan J. Z.; Slesak, Robert A.; Windmuller-Campione, Marcella A. 2022. Effects of biochar on drought tolerance of Pinus banksiana seedlings. In: Jain, Theresa B.; Schuler, Thomas M. [comp.]. Foundational concepts in silviculture with emphasis on reforestation and early stand improvement - 2022 National Silviculture Workshop. Proc. RMRS-P-80. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 3 p.
