Description
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This dataset represents a greenhouse experiment to investigate the effects of fluctuating soil hydrology on plant growth and vertical root distribution for vegetated infiltration systems (2019-09-24)
Plant rooting patterns in bioswales, raingardens and other vegetated infiltration systems are essential, as they contribute biopores which maintain the infiltration function over time. However, fluctuating hydrological conditions, ranging from flooded to drained, can have a heavy impact on plant rooting, as well as consequences for plant contributions to other ecosystem services and ecological functions. This study tested the biomass allocation to roots and the vertical root profile of four plant species, alone or in competition with a grass, and their responses to the experimental manipulation of soil hydrology in soil column microcosms. When the species were exposed to repeated wet-dry cycling hydrological regimes, we found a clear shift in vertical root distribution, and observed shallower rooting in wetter regimes. It was also found that alongside this shallower rooting, there were no changes to total biomass and only moderate adjustments to biomass investment in roots. Overall, differences in rooting patterns between hydrological regimes and species were moderate, although species covered a range of adaptations along the scale of moist to dry soil conditions. In fact, the addition of the grass Festuca rubra actually evened out the differences in rooting patterns among the systems and contributed to a strong increase in root mass density. Accordingly, mixed species systems may be a robust approach to vegetated infiltration systems when competitive exclusion can be prevented. Overall, it is thought that deeper rooting can be promoted by designing these systems in such a way that allows for at least periodically dry periods. (2019-09-24)
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Related Publication
| Bakhtina, M., Bay, N., Rosef, L., & Hanslin, H. M. (2023). The impact of soil hydrological regimes and vegetation systems on plant performance and root depth distribution in bioswale microcosms. Environmental Technology, 45(21), 4334–4345.
doi: 10.1080/09593330.2023.2250544 |