Abstract
Effects of municipal waste water irrigation and soil warming on juvenile growth of hybrid poplar ( Populus spp. L.), sycamore ( Platanus occidentalis L.) and sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraciflua L.) trees were evaluated after one or two growing seasons in central Pennsylvania. Soil warming was accomplished by circulating hot water through a buried pipe network to simulate a system for dissipation of waste heat from steam-electric power plants. Irrigation with 5 cm of municipal waste water per week significantly increased height and basal diameter of all species and hybrid poplar clones tested. Combination of soil warming and waste water irrigation only produced significantly greater growth responses compared to irrigation alone for sycamore and hybrid poplar clones NE-49 and NE-252. Woody biomass of mixed-clone hybrid poplar was increased after two growing seasons by 272% by waste water irrigation alone compared to control. Soil warming with irrigation increased woody biomass of sycamore by 223% after one growing season compared to control. Although positive growth response to soil warming was species or clone specific, it was estimated that greatest biomass production for species and clones tested could be obtained with the combination of soil warming and waste water irrigation using hybrid poplar clone NE-49.
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