Abstract
Hybrid chestnut(Castanea dentata×C. mollissima)has the potential to provide a valuable agroforestry crop on formerly coal mined landscapes. However, the soil interactions of mycorrhizal fungi and buried metals associated with mining are not known. This study examined soil, plant tissue, and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) root colonization on eight-year-old hybrid (BC1F3and BC2F3) and American chestnuts on a reclaimed coal mine in Ohio, USA. Chestnut trees were measured and ECM colonization on roots was quantified. Leaves, flowers, and soil were analyzed for heavy metals. Differences were not detected among tree types regarding metal accumulation in plant tissue or ECM colonization. BC2F3hybrids had greater survival and less cankers than American chestnuts (P= 0.006 and <0.0001). Taller trees were associated with greater ECM root colonization and correlated with an increase in Al uptake (P= 0.02 and 0.01). When comparing tissue, manganese and aluminum were in higher concentrations in leaves than flowers, where copper and selenium were significantly higher in floral tissue (P< 0.05). All trees were flowering at this time meriting further examination in nut tissue. Block effects for selenium and zinc indicate the variability in reclaimed soils requiring further monitoring for possible elemental transfer to nut and wood tissue.
Highlights
When survival was compared among tree types, BC2F3 had the greatest survival (80%; X2 = 10.0, df = 2, P = 0.006)
No differences existed when flowering or percent ECM root colonization was compared among the tree types (Table 1)
American chestnut trees were taller than both hybrid lines; hybrid BC2F3 had the greatest survival, which was similar to what was reported after 5 years [16]
Summary
American chestnut added up to one inch in diameter annually with an estimated 500 board feet produced per acre per year [3, 4]. This species was a plentiful seed resource for humans, livestock, and wildlife in the Appalachian region [5]. The nut was a plentiful protein source used by the Native Americans and by the 1800s was an important crop for livestock, human consumption, and income and trade for the residents of southern Appalachian [6]. With the expansion of the transportation system in the mid to late
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