Autumn Olive Research Articles

Site factor effects on establishment of planted and volunteer trees and shrubs on graded cast overburden and replaced topsoil in southeastern Ohio

We measured survival and height of trees planted on graded cast overburden in southeastern Ohio as affected by aspect and slope position in one study and by aspect and interplanted European alder in an adjoining study. We also measured density and height of volunteer trees and shrubs on the cast overburden and on adjacent topsoiled plots that were not planted with trees. After eight years, survival for planted species varied from 1% for white pine ( Pinus strobus L.) to 92% for green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh) Survival was poor ( 15% r silver maple l(Acer saccharinum L.) and intermediate (43-52% or European alder [ Atnus giutinosa ( L.) Gaertn.] sycamore ( Platanus occidentalis L.) bur oak ( Quercus macrocarpa Michx) and Austrian pine ( Pinus nigra Arnold) Aspect ( northeast vs. southwest) or slope position ( upper vs. lower) affected survival only of silver maple. Maple survived better on the northeast-facing, lower slope ( 43% ) than on other combinations of aspect and slope position ( 3-5% survival) Austrian pine, bur oak, and alder were taller on the northeast aspect, and Austrian pine was also taller on upper than on lower slopes. Presence of interplanted alder did not affect survival or height of ash, sycamore, and white pine. Heights of planted trees averaged less than 110 cm for all species except sycamore ( 160 cm) and alder ( 305 cm) Boxelder-zlcer negundo L. ( 56 stems/ ha) autumn we-atumn olive-Elaeagnus umbellata Thumb. ( 49 stems/ ha) black cherry-Prunus serotina Ehrh. ( 13 stems/ ha) and ashes-Fraxinus spp. (11 stems/ ha) comprised 89% of all volunteers. Total density of volunteers decreased with increasing distance from seed sources. Volunteer density on topsoil ( 181 stems/ ha) was almost twice that on overburden (107 stems/ ha) Invasion of autumn olive on topsoiled plots on the northeast slope is converting the seeded grasslands into shrub ecosystems.

Red oak and black walnut growth increased with minesoil ripping

ABSTRACT Red oak, black walnut, and black walnut with autumn olive, a “nitrogen-fixing” shrub, were planted on graded, compacted cast overburden (topsoil-substitute) minesoil with a dense ground cover consisting chiefly of tall fescue grass. Compaction was mitigated by ripping on half the plots. Year 1 establishment of all species was equal or lower on the graded versus graded/ripped plots. After 12 years red oak survival was 9% where unripped versus 61% where ripped. Black walnut survival was respectively 41% and 74%. Red oak 12-year heights were 2.2 m on the graded and 4.5 m on the graded/ripped plots. Black walnut heights averaged 2.6 m and 5.5 m respectively. Diameter breast height similarly was greater with ripping for the oak and walnut. Deer damage was substantially greater on the red oak than on the black walnut trees. Black walnut was interplanted a year later with autumn olive on unripped and ripped graded minesoils. After 12 years survival of black walnut interplanted with autumn olive was 42% where unripped and 85% in two ripped plots. Corresponding heights averaged 3.8 m where graded and 5.7 to 6.4 m where graded/ripped.

Floral Volatiles ofElaeagnus umbellataThunb.

ABSTRACT The floral volatiles of Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb. (autumn olive) were isolated by simultaneous steam distillation/extraction and “purge and trap” techniques. Extracts were analyzed by GC/M S. In the steam distillate, 84 peaks were detected of which 56 were assigned structures. In the “purge and trap” analysis, 47 peaks were detected with 37 assigned structures. The principal steam distillate constituents were palmitic acid, C14 to C20 fatty acid methyl esters, eugenol, 4-methyl phenol, phenylaeetaldehyde, and (E)-2-nonenal. Among the headspace volatiles recovered by “purge and trap,” the most abundant compounds were 4-methyl anisole, 4-methoxy anisole, 4-methyl phenol, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, and (E)-2-hexenal. The composition of the essential oil indicates that it may have commercial value.

Changes in tissue nitrogen and phosphorus and foliar free amino acids in autumn olive, black locust, American sycamore, and honey locust during autumn

Changes in tissue nitrogen, phosphorus, and foliar free amino acids of four temperate woody deciduous plants (autumn olive (Elaeagnusumbellata Thunb.), black locust (Robiniapseudoacacia L.), American sycamore (Platanusoccidentalis L.), and honey locust (Gleditsiatriacanthos L.)) were determined during the autumns of 1987 and 1988 on two physically and nutritionally distinct sites in central Illinois, United States. The dinitrogen-fixing species, actinorhizal autumn olive (Frankia nodulated) and leguminous black locust (Rhizobium nodulated), resorbed a greater proportion of phosphorus than nitrogen from leaves prior to autumnal leaf abscission in comparison with the nonfixing American sycamore and honey locust. The net autumnal changes in nitrogen or phosphorus of each species did not differ with site in most cases. Free amino acid contents of leaves tended to decline as leaves senesced during the drier autumn of 1987; however, during the autumn of 1988 foliar free amino acid contents tended to increase as the season progressed, with abscised leaves having the greatest contents. Root bark seemed to be a major sink for phosphorus during autumn in the dinitrogen-fixing species, while all of the species investigated showed significant autumnal increases in twig-bark concentrations of nitrogen.

A canker disease of autumn olive caused by Tubercularia vulgaris

AbstractA stem‐girdling basal canker of autumn olive, Elaeagnus umbellata, was found in Illinois and Indiana. Tubercularia vulgaris was determined to be the causal organism by using field pathogenicity tests. The perithecial state of the fungus was not found. Symptoms of the disease are described.

Destruction ofGnomonia LeptostylaPerithecia onJuglans NigraLeaves by Microarthropods Associated withElaeagnus UmbellataLitter

Companion planting of the woody shrub autumn olive, Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb., with black walnut, Juglans nigra L., in plantations resulted in control of Mycosphaerella leaf spot (4, 5) and walnut anthracnose (3), important defoliating diseases of black walnut. One of the principal beneficial effects ofthe autumn olive was to reduce ascospore primary inoculum ofthe two disease causal agents, Mycosphaerella juglandis Kessler and Gnomonia leptostyla (Fr.) Ces. & de Not. in the spring. A major cause of the reduced ascospore production of M. juglandis and G. leptostyla was microarthropod feeding upon perithecia within infected fallen walnut leaves (4). The purpose of this study is (1) to describe the type and extent of microarthropod perithecial feeding occuning in the leaf litters and (2) investigate the possible role of Collembola and oribatid mites as probable main fungal feeders involved.

Growth, Yield, and Value Projections for Black Walnut Interplantings with Black Alder and Autumn Olive

Abstract Silvicultural practices to reduce managerial inputs, increase yields, and decrease rotation age for eastern black walnut contribute substantially toward making this species more attractive as a forestry investment. Height and diameter measurements of black walnut interplanted with European black alder or autumn olive were taken at ages 14 and 18 in fifth-acre plots at a location in southern Illinois. Black walnut had been planted by USDA Forest Service scientists at a 12 x 32-ft spacing. For the interplanted plots, three black alder or autumn olive were planted within the rows between the walnut trees at a spacing of 8 ft. Based on projections of average dbh, the autumn olive and walnut mixture possessed the highest estimated black walnut yields and return on investment. Average dbh values of 11 in. were projected for the interplanted walnut at age 31. In the black alder interplanting it was estimated that similar rates of growth would require 40 years. Estimated dbh for the control plantings did not reach merchantable sawlog size within the 80-year projection period. Interplanting black walnut with nitrogen-fixing tree species also is well adapted for marginal farmland and may provide landowners with returns that match or exceed those from other more intensively managed alternatives. North. J. Appl. For. 6:129-132, September 1989.

Autumnal changes in tissue nitrogen of autumn olive, black alder and eastern cottonwood

Two experiments were conducted to determine patterns of N change in tissues of autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb.) and black alder (Alnus glutinosa [L.] Gaertn.) during autumn in central Illinois, U.S.A. In the first study leaf nitrogen concentrations of autumn olive decreased 40% at an infertile minespoil site and 39% at a fertile prairie site throughout autumn whereas nitrogen concentrations in respective bark samples increased by 39% and 37%. Salt-extractable protein concentrations increased in bark and decreased in leaves over the sampling period. Free amino acid concentrations of autumn olive leaves decreased over the course of the experiment from peak concentrations in August. Asparagine, glutamic acid and proline were major constituents of the free amino acid pools in leaves. Total phosphorus concentrations of autumn olive leaves declined by 40–46% during autumn while bark concentrations of P did not significantly change.

Ontogeny and fine structure of effective root nodules of the autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)

An ultrastructural study of effective root nodules of the autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb.) demonstrated the presence of hyphal and vesicular forms of the actinomycete endophyte. No sporangial forms of the endophyte were observed within these nodules. The hyphae contained septa, prominent nucleoid regions, and many ribosomes. The endophytic vesicles were initially nonseptate and then became multichambered as a result of the inward growth of complete and incomplete septa. Glycogen particles were numerous in nonseptate and early stages of septate endophytic vesicle formation and in adjacent hyphae but were absent in more developed stages of septate endophytic vesicles. The endophytic vesicles also contained prominent nucleoid areas, vesicular mesosomes, and crystalline-like striated bodies. A capsule, probably derived from host Golgi cisternae and profiles of dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum, surrounded both forms of the endophyte. The endophytic vesicle cell walls consisted of an outer layer continuous with the hyphal cell wall, a middle clear area or “void space,” and an electron-dense inner layer. The “void space” of the endophyte cell wall was resolved into many thin laminae by freeze–fracture microscopy. The laminae were presumed to be different from the outermost cell wall layer because they were washed out in the solvents used in preparing specimens for the TEM.

Performance of Trees, Shrubs, and Forbs Seeded Directly in the Fall on Minespoil and Silt Loam Soil

AbstractThis study was designed to find tree, shrub, and forb species that could be collected in the summer and early fall and be sown together sufficiently late in November to prevent fall germination, but early enough that some seeds could be properly stratified by winter conditions for germination the following spring. Germination and growth of tree, shrub, and forb species in association with grasses as ground cover were tested on a silt loam soil (pH 6.5) and a minespoil (mixed gray shale, pH 6.1) under microplot conditions. Seed germination was recorded 6 months after sowing, and trees and shrubs were then thinned to six per microplot to reduce plant competition. After two full growing seasons, plant heights and root depths were measured. Germination percentages of trees and shrubs were not significantly different between the minespoil and the silt loam soil. Generally, plant heights were shorter for plants grown on the minespoil, with a concomitant reduction in root depth. Trees and shrubs that performed well (a minimum of 15% germination, 10 cm plant height, and 20 cm root depth) on the minespoil under these conditions included Amorpha fruticosa (Indigo bush), Elaeagnus umbellata (Autumn olive), Malus sieboldi (Toringo crabapple), Prunus serotina (Black cherry), and Robinia pseucoacacia (Black locust). There was no significant difference in germination of forb seeds between the minespoli and the silt loam soil. Forbs that germinated, survived and grew well on the minespoil. Forbs with at least 10% germination and a 60% survival rate were Cassia fasciculata (partridge pea), Chenopodium album (lambsquarter), Desmodium canadense (beggerlice), Erechtites hieracifolia (fireweed), Eupatorium serotinum (snake root), Phytolacca americana (pokeweed), Polygonum pensylvanicum (smartweed), and Rumex crispus (red sorrel).

Soil and plant characteristics as determining factors in site selection for surface coal mine reclamation

Four vegetative associations occur on surface mines located in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Seventeen different species of grasses and legumes and 30 different species of trees and shrubs were evaluated for their ability to become established and control erosion on surface mines. The amount of organic matter and soil moisture are the principle factors regulating the establishment of vegetative cover on surface mines. Those species possessing a fibrous root system are better able to adapt for erosion control than tap rooted species. Likewise, shrubs such as bristley locust (Robina hispida) and Silver Bush or Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) that will produce shoots when a root becomes exposed due to erosion are better adapted for erosion control than other species. The methods and species utilized during reclamation will determine, at least in part, the future use of the land and should establish conditions for natural succession to occur.

Growth and element uptake of woody plants on fly ash

Autumn olive and cherry olive plants can be established on acidic to neutral flyash disposal areas. European black alder grows rapidly, but overall survival is poor. Sawtooth oak survives well, but early growth is slow. Sycamore and shrub dogwoods show fair to moderate survival, but dieback and poor early growth are common. Application of 10 cm of subsoil to flyash before revegetation appears to reduce erosion but does not significantly improve survival or growth of woody plants. Interactions of trace metals in plants and substrates are exceedingly complex. Metal accumulation in the woody plants grown on flyash is discussed. (18 references, 5 tables)

Early Tree Growth on "Strike-off" Graded Coal-Mined Spoils in Southeastern Kansas

Levellng tops of strip-mine ridges with a crawler tractor is called 'strike-of grading. Tree seedllng surelval and growth on strffike-of graded strlwmine spolls varied by specles, spoll material, and topographic positlon. Cottonwood, hedge, and autumn olive grew well. Survival was generally 20 percent less on flat tops of graded banks, even less on black-shale spoll materlal, compared to survival on slopes of rldges. Also, for most of the specles hetght growth was reduced on the tops of the black-shale spoil, compared to that on slopes. Shallow or deep planting had llttle effect on survival or growth, 1978. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., vol. 81:3, pp. 251-256. Historically, surface-mined lands in Kansas have been allowed to revert to volunteer stands of grassy and woody vegetation; spoil banks were small and grading was held to a minimum. Today restoration to the original relief is desired, which involves leveling to a nearly horizontal surface or to a rolling terrain. Restoration to either horizontal or rolling terrain calls for moving great masses of earth. Complete grading is often detrimental to tree growth (Chapman, 1967; Geyer, 1971c). Spoils high in clay content are unduly compacted by heavy machinery; the compaction reduces infiltration and percolation of water and air movement and thus causes drainage problems (Limstrom, 1952) and poor root development. Another procedure practiced over the years, called grading, levels ridges with a crawler tractor and leaves flat tops 20 to 30 feet wide. Obviously, strike-off grading is less costly than restoring the original relief. Although it limits use of restored areas, such areas become available for range and forest crops at a minimum cost. I began experimental tree plantings on strike-off graded banks (the current leveling practice at the time) in 1967, to test the effect of grading on woody plant growth. This paper presents the results of five years of tree growth on graded spoils of the Pittsburg and Midway Coal Mining Company, Mine 19, near Hallowell, Cherokee County, in extreme southeastern Kansas. tContribution No. 78-221-j, Department of Forestry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506.

Effect of Lead Contamination on Transpiration and Photosynthesis of Loblolly Pine and Autumn Olive

Effect of Lead Contamination on Transpiration and Photosynthesis of Loblolly Pine and Autumn Olive

The Autumn Olive

The Autumn Olive