Poplars Continue to Thrive Using Biosolids as a Fertilizer
Two years after the original hybrid poplar trees were planted on the Repplier Mine site using Philadelphia Water Department biosolids there has been substantial tree and vegetation growth. The planting of trees and seeding grasses and legumes has resulted in successful vegetative cover in the plots where biosolids were applied. There has also been a variety of wildlife species that have moved into the Repplier site including deer, coyotes, toads, and a wide variety of birds and insects. Employees from Garvey Resources Inc. recorded data from this year that included the height, diameter at breast height (DBH), and weight of the trees for each plot, biosolids samples from the deep rows, soil samples, and number of trees per plot. The trees in the plots where biosolids were used to fertilize are much larger than the trees in the control plots in height, weight, and DBH. The purpose of this experiment is to determine how much biosolids is needed to optimize tree growth. The average height of the trees in the control plots is 1.02 meters whereas the average height of the 100 Dry Ton Per Acres (DTPA) plot is 3.03 meters. WMPI also planted four new plots at the Repplier site this year, along with four new plots at a new location, the Thomaston mine site.
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