Study Area

1. Abstract • Bottomland hardwood forest serve as a valuable commodity and can be especially viable where conditions in the bottomland are unfavorable for row crop production. Species selection for such forests have been difficult in the past due to the lack of knowledge about what species thrive under the varying soil drainage conditions of bottomlands. • Problems with bottomland planting: • High water table • Soil drainage • Overland flooding • Diverse soil properties • Topography • The purpose of this study was to determine how poorly drained conditions, indicated by degree of mottling (specifically the point of >50% grey color) affects the survival and growth of eight bottomland oak species. Study Area The site is in a floodplain of the South Fork of the Forked Deer River at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center, Jackson, Tennessee (fig. 1). This floodplain was originally forested, then cleared in the 1960’s and placed into agricultural production. With marginal row crop production due to wetness and flooding, the site was enrolled into the CRP and WRP programs. The predominate soil series in the study location are a somewhat poorly drained Falaya (coarse-silty, mixed, active, acid, thermic Aeric Fluvaquent), and a poorly drained Waverly (coarse-silty, mixed, active, acid, thermic Fluvaquentic Endoaquept). Results Soil drainage classes selected for the study: Poorly drained -- >50% grey matrix within the first 0-22.8cm Somewhat poorly drained -- >50% grey matrix at 22.8-45.7cm Moderately well drained -- >50% grey matrix at >45.7cm Height and dbh are shown in figure 2 for the poorly drained class. A combination of height and dbh were used across all drainage classes and species and resulted in overall recommendations as shown in table 1. Selecting Oak Species for Bottomland Hardwood Restoration Ryan Blair, David Mercker, Donald Tyler, Joshua Smith , Andrew Shaub, The University of Tennessee Soil Mottling (redoximorphic features) are indicated by grey or black colors mixed with the normal red, brown or yellow soil colors; grey and black colors indicate that periods of soil saturation are frequent and with duration A Gleyed matrix occurs when water is removed very slowly and the soil is saturated for three or more months of the year; the gleyed matrix is the point where grey mottling exceeds 50 percent of the soil profile Clearing (circa 1965) Figure 2 • Materials and Methods • In 2004, 6 or 8 rows (817m) of each species were planted with 3m X 3m spacing (176 trees per hectare). • Bottomland oaks of this region selected (8 species, figure 2) • Measured trees (2010): survival rate, height, dbh • Soil sampling: depth to >50% grey mottling (chroma 2 or less) • Height and dbh were ranked among species to determine tolerance of species to the degree of wetness of each drainage class. Fig. 1 Summary Table. 1 Tree specie growth data as affected by soil drainage was used to develop a guide for natural resource professionals to better develop and/or implement tree planting plans for the purpose of restoring bottomland oak forests. After planting (2004) Fourth growing season (2008)