Wayne A. Geyer

Biomass yield potential of short-rotation hardwoods in the great plains

Abstract Wood for fuel has increased in importance. Its primary use in the world is for energy, increasingly coming from wood wastes and new biomass sources. One solution to the potential problem of using high-quality trees for fuel could be woody biomass grown under a short-rotation intensive culture system. Species, size, age and spacing are factors that affect biomass production of broadleafed trees. Trials of several species grown at close spacing (0·3 m x 0·3 m) and cut at various ages are described and related to the growth and yield of more conventionally spaced plantings on an alluvial site in eastern Kansas.

Streambank stability of two Kansas river systems during the 1993 flood in Kansas, USA

Abstract Streambank changes were examined after the Kansas flood of 1993. Aerial photography was used to determine the relationship of streambank stability to natural riparian vegetation, stream channel morphology, and soil type. The flooding that occurred that summer along river courses in the central plains of the United States was considered in the magnitude of a 100- to 500-year flood. Water flooded riverbanks and farmlands for a 2-month period. Lateral streambank erosion was related significantly to vegetative cover and soil types. Erosion was greatest on cropland and minimal on the forested streambanks, and was greater on sandy than on silty soils. Channel configuration or the interaction of soils with either cover type or channel configuration influenced lateral erosion on one river system but not the other. The flood was so large that the water flowed over the banks for great distances much of the time.

Weed Management on Military Artillery Ranges

Various commercial chemicals were tested to control visually obstructive weed populations abundant in the target zones on the Fort Riley Military Reservation. With the use of the integrated pest management concept, several herbicides applied at lower amounts than the historical treatment were effective in reducing tall weedy plants by at least 90%. A change in these chemicals thus would help to meet the United States Department of Defense directive to reduce pesticide usage.

Short-rotation forestry research in the United States

Abstract In 1978 the United States Department of Energy initiated the Short Rotation Woody Crops Program∗ to create a technical information base and improve wood energy supplies. This national program focused on tree selection, management systems, equipment needs, economics, and nutrient requirements. Close spacing and successive coppice ratations are critical to the short-rotation concept. Twenty-five species have been selected for use in various parts of the country. Woody biomass productivity rates from 382 nationwide, short rotation, intensive-culture research tests averaged 5·6 Mg/ha/yr. Increases of at least 125% are expected through additional research. BIOCUT, a microcomputer based cost-accounting model, has been developed to analyze short-rotation systems. Harvest and transportation costs represent 50% of total production costs. Forage harvesting equipment is needed. Chunk cutting of wood bolts requires two-thirds less energy than chipping. Future efforts of this national program should focus on coppice regeneration, harvesting techniques, and economic evaluation of multihectare monoculture viability tests.

Evaluation of Synthetic Mulches on the Establishment and Growth of Cottonwood

ABSTRACT Soil microclimatic conditions created by various weed-control mulches and the resulting survival, diameter, and height growth of cottonwood seedlings were studied in central Kansas. The treatments compared the effects of six synthetic plastic mulches often used in horticultural practices with the effects of cultivation or a herbicide. One-year-old seedlings were planted with either clear plastic, blue and yellow waste plastics, black or gray/black polyethylene, or polypropylene fabric weed barrier; cultivation; or herbicide weed-control treatment. After five years, sapling survival was more than 85% for all mulch types except the clear plastic (82% survival). Differences among weed-control treatments were significant for survival, height, stem diameter, and biomass. Sapling growth was best with sulfometron methyl herbicide, slightly less for cultivation, and nearly the same for all other materials for weed control. Stem temperature had no relationship to first year height growth. Soil temperature and moisture had a slight relationship to second year height. Use of herbicides or cultivation was clearly less expensive than synthetic mulch for weed control.

Weed Management in Plantings of Tree and Shrub Seedlings with Sulfometuron Methyl (Oust)

Sulfometuron methyl (Oust) at two rates was evaluated for use as a weed control agent with 26 broadleaf and coniferous species. Herbicidal application over newly planted seedlings is desirable to reduce weed control costs. Both rates (0.14 and 0.28 kg ai/ha) provided excellent control of broadleaf and grass weeds. Nearly all tree and shrub species exhibited some leaf damage; however, limited tolerance to the lower rate was exhibited by 18 species. Lower rates are suggested for both good weed control and injury tolerance, especially with band application and interrow cultivation.

Assessing the effectiveness of various riparian buffer vegetation types

Agricultural riparian buffer research has focused on examining water flow through native forest stands or grass filter strips (Sheridan et al. 1999), and has been conducted primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and southeastern United States (Jordan et al. 1993; Lowrance et al. 1984). Recently established riparian buffer strips, usually adjacent to crop fields, have become increasingly common in the Midwest. The climate, soils, and hydrology differ considerably between the Midwest and the eastern seaboard, thus the effectiveness of newly planted riparian buffers for filtering agricultural field runoff needs to be documented.

Green Ash Growth Curves

The growth potential of green ash growing in native timber stands in Kansas can be evaluated using newly developed site-index curves. A single guide curve was computed from data gathered in the 1964-1965 Kansas forest inventory and harmonized curves were calculated. Green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica L.) is found throughout most of Kansas (Stephens, 1969). It has high commercial importance and ranks second in harvested sawtimber (Raile and Spencer, 1984). It is used principally for containers, tool handles, and furniture. Because it is hardy to climatic extremes, it is found on a variety of sites. Green ash naturally grows best on moist bottomlands and stream banks. Generally, it is not tolerant of forest competition and grows in almost pure stands (Harlow and Harrar, 1950). Evaluation of site productivity (wood-producing potential of an area) is an important aspect of management for attaining maximum benefits from forest lands. The site-index method is the most widely accepted means for determining site quality. It uses tree height/age relationships, which correlate well with timber yields. By definition, site index is the average height at age 50 years of dominant/codominant (overstory) trees in a fully stocked, evenaged stand. Curves or tables have been published for many commercial tree species in the United States. In Kansas, only curves for black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) and hackberry (Celtis occidentalis L.) have been published (Geyer and Lynch, 1987; Lynch and Geyer, 1988). The purpose of this paper is to provide another in a series of site-index equations, curves, and height tables for important tree species growing in natural stands in Kansas. PROCEDURE

Evaluating Hackberry Sites

Site-index curves are presented for evaluating the growth potential of hackberry in native timber stands in Kansas. A single guide curve was computed from data gathered in the 1964-1965 Kansas forest inventory and harmonized curves were calculated. Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis L.) is one of the most widely distributed tree species in the woodlands of Kansas. Hackberry ranks third in total standing biomass and harvested sawtimber from commercial forest land (Raile and Spencer, 1984), and is used principally for furniture and containers. Although found on a variety of sites, hackberry grows best on rich soil along streams. In the eastern third of the state it grows in mixture with other hardwood species but occurs in almost pure stands in the central part of the state. Hackberry is drought resistant and has survived extremely dry periods in the Great Plains (Fowells, 1965). Evaluation of site productivity (wood producing potential of an area) is an important aspect of management for attaining maximum benefits from forest lands. The site-index method is the most widely accepted means for determining site quality. It uses tree height/age relationships and correlates well with timber yields. By definition, site index is the average height at age 50 years of dominant (overstory) trees in a fully stocked, even-aged stand. Curves or tables have been published for many commercial tree species in the United States. In Kansas, only curves for black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) have been published (Geyer and Lynch, 1987). The purpose of this paper is to provide another in a series of site-index equations, curves, and height tables for important tree species growing in natural stands in Kansas. PROCEDURE Forest survey data from Kansas (Chase and Strickler, 1968) provided the basic input for the construction of the site-index curves. As part of a stand inventory and analysis program, 776 temporary, variable-radius plots randomly located in the forest areas of the state were established at 10 points uniformly placed over each sample. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.43 on Fri, 30 Sep 2016 05:29:42 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms VOLUME 91, NUMBERS 3-4 159 Table 1. Distribution of sample trees by age and height classes. Height classes Age classes 25 35 45 55 65 75+ Totals 20 2 9 5 1 1 18 30 2 13 19 14 1 1 50 40 5 13 6 1 25 50 3 6 5 4 18 60 1 1 7 2 11 70+ 4 4 8 Totals 4 22 33 35 24 12 130 Tree measurements included height and age of the first tree in each plot that was one of the major species represented and whose crown was in the upper canopy. Total tree height to the nearest foot was measured with a relascope, and age to the nearest year was determined by increment borings at breast height (4.5 ft.). Additional years were added for seedling development to estimate total age. Hackberry was found at 130 sample areas. The distribution of these trees by height and age classes is shown in Table 1 and by geographic location and physiographic site classes in Table 2. A non-linear growth model (Richards, 1959) was used to express heightgrowth patterns. The model used was H = bo + bl(1l e-b2Age), where: H = dominant and codominant height (feet), Age = total age in years, b = coefficients of the model estimated by the iterative method of least squares, e = base of natural logarithms. A guide curve was calculated using SAS (Barr et al., 1976) and a family of site-index curves was developed utilizing the harmonized curve approach (Spurr, 1952). This approach assumes that additional curves are proportional to the guide curve, differing only by a fixed percentage. Aspen in the Central Table 2. Distribution of sample plots by geographic location and physiographic sites. Physiographic sites Geographic location Upland Lower slope Intermittent Bottomland Totals Northeast (22 counties) 4 15 28 16 63 Southeast (21 counties) 5 26 18 49 Western (62 counties) 3 12 3 18 Totals 4 23 66 37 130 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.43 on Fri, 30 Sep 2016 05:29:42 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 160 TRANSACTIONS OF THE KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE Table 3. Estimated total height (ft.) of upper canopy hackberry trees in Kansas with base age 50 years.

Cut-Stump Treatment of Saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima) on the Cimarron National Grasslands

Saltcedar is an invasive shrub or tree found along stream banks and waterways throughout the western United States. Research was conducted on saltcedar stands located on the Cimarron National Grasslands near Elkhart, KS. Saltcedar was cut during the dormant season. Spring applied treatments included an untreated check and herbicides containing either glyphosate, triclopyr, or imazapyr. All untreated plants resprouted. All herbicides provided greater than 90% defoliation 3 months after treatment (MAT), except those cut-stump treatments containing glyphosate. At 15 MAT, glyphosate + imazapyr (5% + 5%), imazapyr (10%), triclopyr (5 and 10%), and undiluted triclopyr as Pathfinder II provided ≥ 80% mortality.