Adventitious rooting of four Salicaceae species in response to a flooding event

The ability to form adventitious roots in response to a flooding event was examined in three floodplain species, sandbar willow (Salix interior Rowlee), feltleaf willow (Salix alaxensis (Anderss.) Cov.), and balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera L.), and one upland species, trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), in interior Alaska. The mean number of adventitious roots formed per seedling was 7, 5, 2, and 0 for sandbar willow, feltleaf willow, balsam poplar, and trembling aspen, respectively. The ability to form adventitious roots was related to the distribution of the species on the floodplain.