Short rotation woody crops such as eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides), hybrid poplar (Populus spp.), black willow (Salix nigra), and American sycamore (Plantanus occidentalis) are fast growing, competitive species ideally suited for biomass plantations for bioenergy production.  These systems can provide both ecosystem services and disservices through their fast growth and resource consumption that need to be evaluated along with their productivity and biomass quality. We seek to address these questions across a suite of experimental plantations throughout the southeast investigating:

1. Soil carbon sequestration and storage potential

2. Soil nutrient uptake and availabilty

3. Soil respiration and other greenhouse gas emissions

4. Agricultural runoff mitigation and water quality

5. Rainwater partitioning