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Using root and soil traits to forecast woody encroachment dynamics in mesic grassland

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/2248061· OSTI ID:2248061
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6]
  1. Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS (United States); Kansas State University
  2. University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
  3. University of North Carolina, Greensboro, NC (United States)
  4. St. Edwards University, Austin, TX (United States)
  5. University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS (United States)
  6. Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations
Grasslands are a widespread and globally important biome providing key ecosystem services including C storage and regulation of the water cycle. Grasslands face multiple threats, including changes in drought intensity and woody encroachment - a process that results in increased woody plant abundance corresponding with decreased herbaceous plant abundance. The combination of reduced soil moisture and shifts in plant dominance from herbaceous to woody are likely to alter C pools in the soil profile. We currently do not have the capacity to predict either the magnitude or rates of change in these C pools. In order to predict changes in grassland vegetation structure and the associated impacts on C cycling requires greater understanding of changes in soil C pools at multiple soil depths, and the responses of these pools to changes in precipitation. To support and perform this parameterization of Land Surface Models, we performed detailed investigations of root (anatomical and physiological) and soil traits (microbial function) at varying soil depths, to capture the belowground impacts of changing dominant plant growth forms (grasses to shrubs) and the impacts of frequent drought.
Research Organization:
Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
DOE Contract Number:
SC0019037
OSTI ID:
2248061
Report Number(s):
DOE-KSU--19037
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (2)

Root traits reveal safety and efficiency differences in grasses and shrubs exposed to different fire regimes journal December 2021
Intra-canopy leaf trait variation facilitates high leaf area index and compensatory growth in a clonal woody encroaching shrub journal July 2022

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Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
clonal shrubs
grasslands
roots
water cycling
woody encroachment