Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) is a fast growing, nitrogen fixing, stress tolerant species with durable and high quality wood which can be used for many purposes, including wall paneling, flooring, fence posts, vine props, furniture, fruit boxes, pulp and paper, animal feed stock, bee forage, and biomass energy. Although native only to the Eastern United States, black locust is now naturalized and widely planted throughout the world from temperate to subtropical areas. In spite of a long history of use and interest research on the species has been sporadic and minimal. In the last few years this situation has begun to change but basic and applied data on black locust biology, culture, and utilization still has many graps and deficiencies. The conference was intended to help correct this situation by: - Bringing together researchers and forestry professionals from diverse backgrounds who are interested in all aspects of black locust; - Documenting available knowledge about the species in this comprehensive proceedings; - Facilitating future exchange of materials and information on the species; - Discussing future research directions and needs. The conference program consisted of invited speakers' presentations touching upon a wide series of topics organized into four major areas: - Silviculture - Genetics and breeding - Physiology and wood characteristics - Utilization. Integral to the conference were the poster paper presentations which greatly enhanced the quality and amount of information exchanged during the three days. Field trips were conducted to observe research underway at Michigan State University and to view a wide range of genetic studies of many species at the Kellogg Experimental Forest.
