Description
Grassland sites are important ecosystems delivering essential ecosystem services such as carbon storage and filtering of water. Adequate management necessitates a better understanding of soil ecological processes in grassland ecosystems. Of special interest is the relationship between soil structure and root development. In a project within the Biodiversity Exploratory Initiative (http://www.biodiversity-exploratories.de), undisturbed soil cores from 31 grassland plots from Swabian Alb Biodiversity exploratory in Germany were investigated by means of X-ray micro computed tomography. This allows the simultaneous determination of soil physical and root parameters in one sample. VG StudioMax® version 2.1 was used to apply a combination of histogram analysis and spatial transformation to distinguish between solids, root system, and pore space. The results of this study reveal close relationships between the soil physical state and root development in grassland soil. Roots have been identified as important contributors to the prevention of soil compaction. Whereas soil compaction is a major threat to soil functions and ecosystem services, which should be mitigated with enhanced awareness of root growth, e.g. with the right choice of varieties, implementation of legumes, adapted management.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Assessment of Soil Structure and Root Patterns by Means of Micro-X-ray Computed Tomography in Temperate Grassland Sites
Grassland sites are important ecosystems delivering essential ecosystem services such as carbon storage and filtering of water. Adequate management necessitates a better understanding of soil ecological processes in grassland ecosystems. Of special interest is the relationship between soil structure and root development. In a project within the Biodiversity Exploratory Initiative (http://www.biodiversity-exploratories.de), undisturbed soil cores from 31 grassland plots from Swabian Alb Biodiversity exploratory in Germany were investigated by means of X-ray micro computed tomography. This allows the simultaneous determination of soil physical and root parameters in one sample. VG StudioMax® version 2.1 was used to apply a combination of histogram analysis and spatial transformation to distinguish between solids, root system, and pore space. The results of this study reveal close relationships between the soil physical state and root development in grassland soil. Roots have been identified as important contributors to the prevention of soil compaction. Whereas soil compaction is a major threat to soil functions and ecosystem services, which should be mitigated with enhanced awareness of root growth, e.g. with the right choice of varieties, implementation of legumes, adapted management.
