Poplar and Willow National Working Forum - Elizabeth Nichols - Poplar Plantations for Water Sustainability in the Southeastern USA - April 12, 2016

The land application of municipal and industrial wastewaters to hardwood and mixed hardwood/softwood forest systems is a well-established practice in North Carolina. These waste treatment systems provide an important opportunity to evaluate qualitative and quantitative impacts on the food, energy, fiber, and water nexus. Current research is quantifying ecosystem services, water resiliency, and the sustainability of these systems across urban and rural landscapes in North Carolina. In particular, current research is evaluating how these systems manage non-regulated contaminants and how these systems can be interfaced with other agricultural systems to improve sustainability for food, energy, forest, and water resources.