Plant Root Effects on Soil Erodibility, Splash Detachment, Soil Strength, and Aggregate Stability

Ghidey, F.; Alberts, E. E.

doi:10.13031/2013.21257

Cited by 86 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Roots also play a critical role with respect to soil erosion control (Li 1995;Ghidey and Alberts 1997;De Baets et al 2007). Plant roots enlace and concrete soil, and this can stabilize soil structure and limit soil movement (Tengbeh 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking fine root and understory vegetation to channel erosion in forested hillslopes of southwestern China

Zhou

et al. 2014

Plant Soil

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Aims The forestland understory vegetation reduces concentrated overland flow through infiltration improvement by roots and raindrop interception by surface cover. However, little has been done to quantify the linkages between understory vegetation cover, roots, and channel erosion, and such information can help assessing the role of the reforestation in soil erosion control. In this study, we evaluated the relationships between channel density, root density, and vegetation cover in forested hillslopes of southwestern China. Methods Twelve locations (four slopes and three positions) of forested hillslopes with a wide range of understory degradation due to litterfall extraction and livestock grazing were selected for the study. Channel density as a measure of rill and (small) gully erosion, root density of different diameter classes, and vegetation cover of all types were determined using field measuring, soil coring and the line transect method, respectively. Soil loss rates were estimated using the caesium-137 ( 137 Cs) technique. Results Rills (depth<0.3 m) with a width of 0.05-0.1 m were the dominate channel erosion in all hillslopes with understory-degradation, and small gullies (depth>0.3 m) with a width 0.5-1.0 m were found at the locations of hillslopes with high understory-degradation. Channel density and soil loss rate increased with the increase in understory-degradation in the forested hillslopes. Simple correlation analysis indicated that channel density was negatively correlated with fine root density (diameter< 1 mm and 1-2 mm) and grass and shrub covers, but not with coarse roots (diam. 2-5 mm and 5-10 mm) and mulch and tree covers. The principal component regression revealed fine root density (diam. <1 mm), shrub and grass covers were the most important predictors for channel density in the forested hillslopes. Tree cover, mulch cover and coarse root density were found to have much less influence on channel density. For the model established from this study using principle component regression, vegetation variables could explain 82 % variance of channel density.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking fine root and understory vegetation to channel erosion in forested hillslopes of southwestern China

Zhou

et al. 2014

Plant Soil

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“…The presence of stones at the soil surface does not always decrease soil erosion; on the contrary, if stones are embedded in crusted surfaces, they can increase runoff and thus soil erosion. The roots and other plant residues can also play a significant role in physically decreasing the kinetic energy of raindrops and improving aggregate stability (Monroe and Kladivko, 1987;Ghidey and Alberts, 1997;Martens, 2002). Removing all pebbles, gravels and plant residues could also been considered as another significant reason which leads to more sediment concentration in prepared soil for laboratory studies.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rock fragments, roots and plants debris on the soil surface and within the soil profile in soil surface before any preparation practice could protect the aggregate against raindrops or runoff flow. In this regard, Li et al (1991), Ghidey and Alberts (1997) and Mamo and Bubenzer (2001a, b) showed that root system helps the soil resistance and thus reduces the amount of soil loss.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of standard preparation practice on the runoff and soil erosion rates under laboratory conditions

2016

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Abstract. The use of laboratory methods in soil erosion studies, rainfall simulation experiments, Gerlach troughs, and other measurements such as ring infiltrometer has been recently considered more and more because of many advantages in controlling rainfall properties and high accuracy of sampling and measurements. However, different stages of soil removal, transfer, preparation and placement in laboratory plots cause significant changes in soil structure and, subsequently, the results of runoff, sediment concentration and soil loss. Knowing the rate of changes in sediment concentration and soil loss variables with respect to the soil preparation for laboratory studies is therefore inevitable to generalize the laboratory results to field conditions. However, there has been little attention given to evaluate the effects of soil preparation on sediment variables. The present study was therefore conducted to compare sediment concentration and soil loss in natural and prepared soil. To achieve the study purposes, 18 field 1× 1 m plots were adopted in an 18 % gradient slope with sandy-clay-loam soil in the Kojour watershed, northern Iran. A portable rainfall simulator was then used to simulate rainfall events using one or two nozzles of BEX: 3/8 S24W for various rainfall intensities with a constant height of 3 m above the soil surface. Three rainfall intensities of 40, 60 and 80 mm h −1 were simulated on both prepared and natural soil treatments with three replications. The sediment concentration and soil loss at five 3 min intervals after time to runoff were then measured. The results showed the significant increasing effects of soil preparation (p ≤ 0.01) on the average sediment concentration and soil loss. The increasing rates of runoff coefficient, sediment concentration and soil loss due to the study soil preparation method for laboratory soil erosion plots were 179, 183 and 1050 % (2.79, 2.83 and 11.50 times), respectively.

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“…The morphological and physiological characteristics of vegetation influence the magnitude of protection against surface erosion (Prosser et al 1995, Parsons et al 1996, Ghidey and Alberts 1997, Weltz et al 1998, Grace 2000. In particular, the dense shallow root systems (Schiechtl 1980, Anonymous 1995, Gray and Sotir 1996, Ghidey and Alberts 1997 and the flexible, aboveground stems and leaves (Prosser et al 1995) of perennial grass and herb species significantly reduce surface erosion.…”

Section: Type Of Vegetationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In particular, the dense shallow root systems (Schiechtl 1980, Anonymous 1995, Gray and Sotir 1996, Ghidey and Alberts 1997 and the flexible, aboveground stems and leaves (Prosser et al 1995) of perennial grass and herb species significantly reduce surface erosion.…”

Section: Type Of Vegetationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of paper birch (Betula papyrifera marsh.) root reinforcement on terrain stability in British Columbia

Campbell¹

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Management of paper birch in mixedwood stands is a sustainable forest management practice. In addition to the ecological and economical benefits of mixedwoods, paper birch trees can maintain or enhance slope stability. This thesis attempted to quantify the contribution of birch root reinforcement in BC to slope shear resistance. The objectives of this thesis were to determine the: 1) genetic variation in paper birch root reinforcement, 2) environmental variation in root reinforcement between birch and pine, and 3) differences in root reinforcement between birch and pine. The first study compared the contribution of birch and pine roots (from different populations growing in three soil types) to soil shear resistance using two controlled environment shear tests (Sonotube and Polytube Experiments). The second study (Tree Uprooting Experiment) compared the vertical uprooting resistance of birch and pine growing in different soil types at three field study sites. The third study (Genecology Experiment) determined the variation of four birch populations growing at one location. Results from the tube experiments found that the roots of birch and pine trees contributed to a significant increase in shear strength, regardless of soil type. At a depth of 20-44 em, paper birch increased shear strength by as much 88%, while pine increased strength by as much as 61%. There was little variation in root reinforcement among the six birch populations in the Sonotube Experiment, which suggested that these trees were from one generalist population rather than six specialist populations. Soil texture affected the root reinforcement of birch and pine in the Polytube Experiment~ both species had the highest root reinforcement in coarse textured sand and the least root reinforcement in medium textured silt. The limiting factor in root reinforcement, in this case, was attributed to a lack of water and nutrients in the silt soil. In the Tree Uprooting Experiment, birch trees had 50% greater resistance to uprooting than did pine trees. Small diameter birch and pine at Aleza Lake had greater uprooting resistance than birch and pine at other field sites. However, larger diameter trees at Gregg Creek and Red Rock had greater uprooting resistance than similar size trees at Aleza Lake. Soil strength and moisture content may have accounted for the uprooting resistance differences among diameter classes at Aleza Lake. Results from the Genecology Experiment showed that the Skeena population had the greatest uprooting resistance, and the greatest height, diameter, and root biomass compared to the other three populations. The results from companion trials, and from the uprooting tests suggested that Skeena trees represent a generalist population. In the same experiment, the nursery where the trees were grown impacted uprooting resistance, even after five years growing in the field. The results from this study reconfirmed the significant length of time nursery can affect field performance. Significant findings arising from this thesis were ...

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Plant Root Effects on Soil Erodibility, Splash Detachment, Soil Strength, and Aggregate Stability

Cited by 86 publications

References 25 publications

Linking fine root and understory vegetation to channel erosion in forested hillslopes of southwestern China

Linking fine root and understory vegetation to channel erosion in forested hillslopes of southwestern China

The impact of standard preparation practice on the runoff and soil erosion rates under laboratory conditions

The effect of paper birch (Betula papyrifera marsh.) root reinforcement on terrain stability in British Columbia

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