Successful reforestation on mine sites requires the use of species adapted to harsh soil and site conditions. Research has shown that American chestnut (Castanea dentata) may be a suitable species due to its historical presence on xeric, nutrient limited sites, which are characteristic of many surface mines. Here we compare seedling survival and performance, through various physiological parameters, of American chestnut planted on two sites in eastern Tennessee. A seedling with high performance is identified as having greater height, greater apical elongation, greater root collar diameter, greater photosynthetic rate, and lower water stress than poorly performing seedlings. Understanding how this species responds to surface mine planting treatments will aid reforestation experts in achieving reforestation and simultaneously restoring American chestnut. This study was carried out on a mine site reclaimed using the Forestry Reclamation Approach. Two sites, containing two plots each, had similar substrates, but differed in topography and material placement. Nine treatments were applied contemporaneously during planting in a factorial arrangement: forest topsoil (sterilized and un-sterilized), Terra-Sorb (applied and not applied), and fertilizer pellets (applied and not applied). Chestnuts were direct-seeded in rows with randomly assigned treatments. The first and second year survival rates of 29 and 28% were unacceptably low for successful reforestation. Fertilizer application reduced survival, but increased both natural height and root collar diameter over the first year in surviving seedlings. Further, fertilizer increased the rate of transpiration, and resulted in a more negative water potential. Terra-Sorb reduced survival, but increased natural height and root collar diameter, most likely as a result of a lesser degree of water stress. Lastly, the inclusion of sterile soil reduced survival, but increased photosynthetic rate.

Abstract.Interactions between herbaceous groundcover and tree species planted on steep slopes of coal mine sites can be complex. Planted groundcovers can compete strongly for resources, hindering the growth of tree seedlings. Northern red oak, shagbark hickory, black cherry, and American chestnut were planted within four different groundcover treatments (alfalfa, switchgrass, goldenrod, and bare ground) on three different reclaimed sites in eastern Tennessee. Transpiration and growth of tree seedlings and soil moisture measurements were taken to document and explain tree performance, and to investigate the degree of competition between the different groundcover and tree species. Tree seedling growth performance did not differ between groundcover treatments during the first growing season. Additional first-year results suggest that slope position had a significant effect on transpiration of shagbark hickory in July (p=0.0036) and on transpiration in American chestnut seedlings in September (p<0.0001). Soil moisture at 15 cm below the surface had a weak linear relationship with July transpiration in black cherry (p=0.0385). It was also found that shagbark hickory height growth (p=0.0207), northern red oak height growth (p=0.0081), and northern red oak root collar diameter growth (p=0.0105) had linear relationships with September transpiration measurements.