Long Term Objectives

1. Determine the role of forest vegetation in the treatment of municipal and industrialwastewater.

2. Evaluate the effectiveness of wastewater treatment in woodlands and to determine the potential for nutrient migration through the plant soil system to ground water, surface water or into biomass.

3. Determine the maximum nitrogen loadings for high yield coppice woodlands by evaluating pilot woodland systems utilizing varying rates of nitrogenous wastes.

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Short Term Objectives

1. Evaluate the capability of various woodland species to assimilate nitrogen.

2. Evaluate the suitability of soil materials for producing high yield coppice woodland plants.

3. Evaluate the performance of coppice woodland systems as a mechanism for nitrogen removal and assimilation of hydraulic loads.

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Accomplishments

1. Continuous monitoring at varying loading rates has verified that woodland systems can receive significant inputs of nitrogen.

2. Woodland systems have provided significant levels of nitrogen removal and assimilation into biomass with minimum migration to shallow ground water.

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Significance of Accomplishments

Popular conception regarding woodland plants is that they possess limited capability to remove and affix nitrogen. Articles in some trade magazines, the popular press and several research articles suggest that woodlands have only limited capability to remove nutrients. A few researchers have evaluated the true potential of managed hardwood forests to remove nutrients. The potential hardwood production capability in eastern North Carolina is very significant, and utilization of municipal and industrial wastewaters to promote hardwood production provides a valuable outlets for these wastewater resources that will benefit industrial generators and woodland or woodlot owners.

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Future Plans

1. Continue evaluating woodland systems at increasingly higher nitrogen loading rates, hydraulic loading rates and phosphorus loading rates to determine the true potential for these natural systems to treat and renovate waste.

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Published by: North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Publication Number:

Last Electronic Revision: JULY 1996 (MSD)

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