Describing the vertical root distribution of alpine plants with simple climate, soil, and plant attributes

González-Ollauri, Alejandro; Hudek, Csilla; Viglietti, Davide; Ceretto, Nicole; Freppaz, Michèle

doi:10.1016/j.catena.2021.105305

Cited by 12 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…We calculated the predicted root feeder load based on the random process hypothesis, which posits that the interaction frequency between specific plant species and root feeder species exclusively depends on their relative abundance. Because root biomass often nonlinearly decreases with soil depth, showing a distribution of conical shape in various plant species (Gonzalez‐Ollauri et al, 2021; Herben et al, 2022; Tasser & Tappeiner, 2005), we assigned root biomass to different soil layers (0–5, 5–10, 10–20, 20–30, and >30 cm) for each species by treating plant roots as a conical shape. Two plant species had a root length of >30 cm, so their root biomass at >30 cm was included in the soil layer 20–30 cm.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insect root feeders incur negative density‐dependent damage across plant species in an alpine meadow

Kou,

Yang,

Yan

et al. 2024

Ecology

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Although herbivores are well known to incur positive density‐dependent damage and mortality, thereby likely shaping plant community assembly, the response of belowground root feeders to changes in plant density has seldom been addressed. Locally rare plant species (with lower plant biomass per area) are often smaller with shallower roots than common species (with higher plant biomass per area) in competition‐intensive grasslands. Likewise, root feeders are often distributed in the upper soil layers. We hypothesized, therefore, that root feeders would incur negative density (biomass)‐dependent damage across plant species. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the diversity and abundance of plant and root feeder species in an alpine meadow and determined the diet of the root feeders using metabarcoding. Across all species, root feeder load decreased with increasing aboveground plant biomass, root biomass, and total plant biomass per area, indicating a negative density dependence of damage across plant species. Aboveground plant biomass per area increased with increasing individual plant biomass and root depth per area across species, suggesting that rare plant species were smaller in size and had shallower root systems compared to common plant species. Both root biomass per area and root feeder biomass per area decreased with soil depth, but the root feeder biomass decreased disproportionately faster compared to root biomass with increasing root depth. Root feeder load decreased with increasing root depth but was not correlated with the feeding preference of root feeder species. Moreover, the prediction derived from a random process incorporating vertical distributions of root biomass and root feeder biomass significantly accounted for interspecific variation in root feeder load. In conclusion, the data indicate that root feeders incur negative density‐dependent damage across plant species. On this basis, we suggest that manipulative experiments should be conducted to determine the effect of the negative density‐dependent damage on plant community structure and that different types of plant–animal interactions should be concurrently examined to fully understand the effect of plant density on overall herbivore damage across plant species.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insect root feeders incur negative density‐dependent damage across plant species in an alpine meadow

Kou,

Yang,

Yan

et al. 2024

Ecology

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“…The use of plants for soil bioengineering purposes follows specific constructive principles that were introduced in earlier work (Schiechtl, 1980;Coppin and Richards, 1990;Gray and Sotir, 1996) Herbaceous and grass species effect, in fact, is considered negligible in stabilising hillslopes against deep mass movements due to their limited rooting depth (e.g. Burylo et al, 2011;Gilardelli et al, 2017;Gonzalez-Ollauri et al, 2021). Some exception, however, can be noted as for herbs and specifically Leguminosae or e.g.…”

Section: Principles Of Plant Use In Soil Bioengineeringmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tardio and Mickovski, 2015;Cislaghi et al, 2017;Cohen and Schwarz, 2017;Hales, 2018;Maedeh et al 2018;Acharya 2019). Most of these models include the mechanical soil reinforcement provided by vegetation roots by including information concerning the root distribution and density in the soil and the root tensile strength, whereas the inclusion of the hydrological effects of vegetation still remains challenging (Gonzalez-Ollauri and Mickovski, 2017b;Gonzalez-Ollauri et al 2021).…”

Section: A Comprehensive Framework For Designing Soil Bioengineering ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and temporal issues in Soil Bioengineering structures for the stabilisation of shallow soil movements

Bischetti

Cesare

Rauch

et al. 2021

Ecological Engineering

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“…Analysis of root system distribution allows us to understand how plant stands evolution proceeds as a function of slope stability concerning surface movements and instabilities, those most affected by extreme weather events, consequently understanding the susceptibility of stands to climate change [24][25][26][27]. Given the previous considerations, the study aims to present a field survey on root system evaluation, related to slope stability, in multi-approach monitoring to evaluate the technical and ecological efficiency of SWBE work, giving insights into the results of vegetation monitoring methodologies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Root System Evolution Survey in a Multi-Approach Method for SWBE Monitoring: A Case Study in Tuscany (Italy)

Giachi,

Giambastiani,

Giannetti

et al. 2024

Sustainability

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Land degradation and soil erosion, intensified by frequent intense hydro-meteorological events, pose significant threats to ecological processes. In response to the environmental challenges, there is a growing emphasis on employing Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), such as Soil and Water Bioengineering (SWBE) techniques, which promote a sustainable approach and materials for the restoration of natural areas damaged by climate events, unlike traditional “grey” engineering works. However, the effective implementation of SWBE interventions requires a multidisciplinary monitoring approach, considering engineering, geological, ecological, biological, and landscape aspects. The success of these interventions depends on evaluating both short-term stabilities provided by the non-living supporting structure and the long-term development of vegetation introduced during the work. Monitoring should regard structural integrity assessments, vegetation evolution studies, and analyses of root system efficiency (distribution, mechanical characteristics, etc.). This study wants to fill the research gap in SWBE management by proposing a comparison of two study techniques for a root system development evaluation, within a multi-approach methodology for the assessment of these interventions in terms of soil stability and natural evolution. The paper provides insights into geotechnical analysis within a shallow landslide, comparing two different methods for the evaluation of root system evolution. Direct methods (RAR) and indirect methods (ERT) were used for root development monitoring and then compared. Vegetation development was assessed by NDVI parameter by analysing Landsat satellite images. An overall analysis of the data obtained from monitoring the study area shows good plant development, thanks to the SWBE intervention, which in addition to the slope stability effect contributes to better water regulation and initiates a natural ecological succession. The findings contribute to advancing the understanding of the effectiveness of SWBE techniques, offering valuable information for future bioengineering projects and environmental conservation efforts, and promoting them as sustainable techniques for natural recovery.

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Describing the vertical root distribution of alpine plants with simple climate, soil, and plant attributes

Cited by 12 publications

References 67 publications

Insect root feeders incur negative density‐dependent damage across plant species in an alpine meadow

Insect root feeders incur negative density‐dependent damage across plant species in an alpine meadow

Design and temporal issues in Soil Bioengineering structures for the stabilisation of shallow soil movements

Root System Evolution Survey in a Multi-Approach Method for SWBE Monitoring: A Case Study in Tuscany (Italy)

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