Green Horizons

Bottomland plantings can be effective in all five agroforestry practices: Forest farming, silvopasture, riparian buffers, alley cropping and windbreaks. Species suitable for bottomland plantings in agroforestry practices include swamp white oak, bur oak, pin oak and shell bark hickory. In the southeastern region (bootheel) of Missouri, willow oak, nuttall oak, cherrybark oak and overcup oak may be effective.

Tree establishment methods:
John Kabrick, research forester, USDA Forest Service, presented information about tree establishment methods at the April 1 workshop. Two primary establishment methods Kabrick explained for bottomland hardwood forests are direct seeding and planting seedlings.

Photo 1a: Container stock seedlings grown with the RPMTM method produce a very large root system at the nursery. With the RPMTM method, seedlings are established in small, bottomless pots (1b). This causes the seedling's tap root to air prune and produce a large number of lateral roots. During the final stage of this method, trees are transferred to 3- or 5-gallon pots (1c) where they continue to grow for another one to two growing seasons.

Direct seeding is the establishment of trees by sowing seeds. For hard mast species, seeds are usually placed in the soil (acorns are placed 2 or 3 inches below the soil surface). This can be accomplished by hand or with a mechanical planter.

The first-year survival rates of direct-seeded trees were studied by the USDA Forest Service in three conservation areas: a 1998 study of Four Rivers Conservation Area, Bates and Vernon Counties, showed a greater than 95 percent survival rate; a 1991 study of Settles Ford Conservation Area showed a 14 percent survival rate; and a 2003 study of Duck Creek Conservation Area, Bollinger, Stoddard, Wayne Counties, showed only a 5 percent survival rate.

“Even with high quality seed, the number of seedlings that germinate can be low if the seed becomes too dry or if it is eaten by insects or wildlife. Small seedlings that have just emerged from seed are vulnerable to rain, wind, drought, and browse by wildlife,” said Kabrick. “However, when the conditions are right, survival can be quite high.”

Planting seedlings:
The survival rate of planted seedlings, whether you use bareroot stock, container stock, or cuttings, is consistently higher than it is for seedlings established by direct seeding. Bareroot stock, like the name implies, are seedlings that are mechanically lifted from the nursery bed, removing the soil and leaving the roots exposed. Once lifted, the seedlings are packaged and sent to the planting site where they can easily planted with a tile spade or planting bar.

Bareroot seedlings are established and grown for one or two years at the nursery where they can be properly cared for and protected when they are most vulnerable. Consequently, they are larger and better able to compete for light, water, and nutrients once they leave the nursery.

Much like bareroot stock, container stock seedlings are also established and grown at the nursery for one to two years. However, container seedlings are established in small pots or containers. The container is removed during out planting, and the root ball and planting medium are planted without disturbing the seedling roots. Because the root system is not disturbed during planting, containergrown stock generally has higher survival and growth than planted bareroot seedlings.

Another kind of container stock is the RPM^TM seedling, or Root Production Method^TM. These seedlings are produced through a patent-pending process developed by Forrest Keeling Nursery, Elsberry, Mo. Through a multi-step program of air-root pruning, seedlings develop a very dense, fibrous root system that absorbs and utilizes more oxygen, water and nutrients, translating into greater basal diameter, shoot length, root volume and root and shoot dry weight than bareroot seedlings.

Site Preparation:
Site preparation provides an opportunity to improve conditions for planting trees and may include fertilizing, weeding, disking, clearing debris, or bedding (mounding) the soil.

Soil beds can be constructed by mounding soil with a moldboard plow, offset disc, rice levee plow, or similar tillage implements and also with backhoe-type excavators. Once constructed, beds range from 4 to 8 feet wide and one-half to 2 feet tall. Soil bedding or mounding concentrates organic matter and nutrients, decreases bulk density, and improves aeration and soil drainage. On soils that are very wet or clayey, it may increase tree seedling survival or growth.

Funding incentives for bottomland plantings
There are a number of federal, state, and private organizations that can provide landowners with both funding and technical assistance for bottomland hardwood restoration in Missouri. At the federal level, the primary funding organizations are the USDA's Farm Service Agency and Natural Resource Conservation Service. At the state level, both the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have cost-share programs for tree planting in bottomland areas. On the private side, organizations such as the National Wild Turkey Federation and Ducks Unlimited support landowner efforts to restore bottomland wildlife habitat.

The USDA Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) includes cost-share provisions that can provide the landowner with up to 100 percent of restoration costs, while WRP easement options can allow landowners to receive market value for their land while retaining rights of access, exclusion and compatible uses such as hunting and fishing. Under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Bottomland Timber Establishment on Wetlands (CP31) is a relatively new CRP practice that provides landowners with a 50 percent costshare for tree planting, an annual rental payment, and maintenance payments on enrolled lands. The Riparian Buffer practice (CP22), which can be used in tandem with CP31, provides even more incentives: in addition to the standard 50 percent cost-share and annual payment (at 120% of the average soil rental rate), landowners installing CP22 receive a "practice incentive payment" that covers an additional 40 percent of establishment costs and a one-time "signing incentive payment" of up to $150 per acre, depending on contract length.

Other programs that can support bottomland restoration include the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, which offers up to 75 percent cost-share for habitat improvement, and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which also includes several applicable costshares and other incentives for both establishment and management of bottomland hardwoods.

Additional sources of information: Missouri Department of Conservation www.conservation.state.mo.us Forrest Keeling Nursery www.fknursery.com Walnut Council www.walnutcouncil.org John Kabrick, USDA Forest Service: (tree establishment) ph. (573) 875-5341 x.229 email: jkabrick@fs.fed.us Dusty Walter, UMCA: (species selection) ph. (573) 884-7991; email: walterw@missouri.edu Doug Wallace, NRCS: (funding incentives) ph. (573) 876-0908; www.mo.nrcs.usda.gov

At the state level, both the MDC and the DNR can provide technical assistance and funding for bottomland hardwood restoration and management. The MDC will cost-share (up to 75%) on two timber-related wildlife habitat improvement practices: Tree/Shrub Establishment (MDC 700) and Woodland Improvement (MDC 900). The DNR also provides up to a 75 percent cost share through their Forest Plantation (DFR-04) and Permanent Vegetative Cover (DSL-11), though certain eligibility criteria must be met.

Private organizations also partner with landowners to support bottomland habitat creation and enhancement. The National Wild Turkey Federation's Superfund program helps landowners develop habitat for wild turkey and other species. Ducks Unlimited specializes in helping landowners obtain resources and technical assistance for wildlife habitat improvement. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation gives challenge grants to leverage funds from other sources. Taken together, these sources of funding and technical assistance offer landowners many opportunities to defray the costs of bottomland hardwood forest restoration and management.

The guidelines in this article are subject to change. Check with the appropriate agencies for up-to-date program information.