Unravelling the complex interactions between root development and soil moisture profiles in the soil-root-system

Author(s):  
Debora Cynthia Maan ◽  
Marie-claire ten Veldhuis ◽  
Bas van de Wiel

<p>We  study  the coupled  action of  water  uptake  and root  development  of  maize  in Rhizotrons under greenhouse conditions. Questions we aim to answer are: What is the effect of a vertical soil moisture gradient on the root growth? How does the root structure in turn influence soil moisture? Do constant  irrigation  quantities and depths eventually lead  to  constant  root  distributions and soil moisture profiles?</p><p>We apply highly controlled subsurface irrigation schemes in potting soil-sand mixtures and measure the real-time response of the interdepending soil moisture fields and root structures.</p><p>Following a top-down approach, in which the overall behaviour of the coupled system is carefully investigated and described, we aim to unravel the complex soil-root-interaction system. Looking at the occurrence of steady states and continuities sheds light on the type of the underlying feedback loops, which in turn provides insight into the fundamental processes that underlie the typical behaviour. We are particularly interested in trade-offs between the development of rooting depth and rooting density (including its dependency on soil moisture profiles) and the coupled effect of roots and root structures on the infiltration capacity of the soil-root-system. Preliminary results suggest the possibility of an enhancing feedback loop between these processes. </p><p>The next step will be to develop a numerical model that incorporates the interactions that were identified experimentally. The model will allow us to study the behavior and sensitivities of the system in more detail.</p><p> </p>

2011 ◽  
Vol 29 (supplement) ◽  
pp. 283-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy R. Brick ◽  
Steven M. Boker

Among the qualities that distinguish dance from other types of human behavior and interaction are the creation and breaking of synchrony and symmetry. The combination of symmetry and synchrony can provide complex interactions. For example, two dancers might make very different movements, slowing each time the other sped up: a mirror symmetry of velocity. Examining patterns of synchrony and symmetry can provide insight into both the artistic nature of the dance, and the nature of the perceptions and responses of the dancers. However, such complex symmetries are often difficult to quantify. This paper presents three methods – Generalized Local Linear Approximation, Time-lagged Autocorrelation, and Windowed Cross-correlation – for the exploration of symmetry and synchrony in motion-capture data as is it applied to dance and illustrate these with examples from a study of free-form dance. Combined, these techniques provide powerful tools for the examination of the structure of symmetry and synchrony in dance.


Meccanica ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Bolognani ◽  
M. Mancini ◽  
R. Rosso

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1053
Author(s):  
Yuan Yao ◽  
Wei Qu ◽  
Jingxuan Lu ◽  
Hui Cheng ◽  
Zhiguo Pang ◽  
...  

The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) provides more scenarios and reliable climate change results for improving the accuracy of future hydrological parameter change analysis. This study uses five CMIP6 global climate models (GCMs) to drive the variable infiltration capacity (VIC) model, and then simulates the hydrological response of the upper and middle Huaihe River Basin (UMHRB) under future shared socioeconomic pathway scenarios (SSPs). The results show that the five-GCM ensemble improves the simulation accuracy compared to a single model. The climate over the UMHRB likely becomes warmer. The general trend of future precipitation is projected to increase, and the increased rates are higher in spring and winter than in summer and autumn. Changes in annual evapotranspiration are basically consistent with precipitation, but seasonal evapotranspiration shows different changes (0–18%). The average annual runoff will increase in a wavelike manner, and the change patterns of runoff follow that of seasonal precipitation. Changes in soil moisture are not obvious, and the annual soil moisture increases slightly. In the intrayear process, soil moisture decreases slightly in autumn. The research results will enhance a more realistic understanding of the future hydrological response of the UMHRB and assist decision-makers in developing watershed flood risk-management measures and water and soil conservation plans.


2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre-Philippe Dechant

AbstractRecent work has shown that every 3D root system allows the construction of a corresponding 4D root system via an ‘induction theorem’. In this paper, we look at the icosahedral case of $$H_3\rightarrow H_4$$ H 3 → H 4 in detail and perform the calculations explicitly. Clifford algebra is used to perform group theoretic calculations based on the versor theorem and the Cartan–Dieudonné theorem, giving a simple construction of the $${\mathrm {Pin}}$$ Pin and $${\mathrm {Spin}}$$ Spin covers. Using this connection with $$H_3$$ H 3 via the induction theorem sheds light on geometric aspects of the $$H_4$$ H 4 root system (the 600-cell) as well as other related polytopes and their symmetries, such as the famous Grand Antiprism and the snub 24-cell. The uniform construction of root systems from 3D and the uniform procedure of splitting root systems with respect to subrootsystems into separate invariant sets allows further systematic insight into the underlying geometry. All calculations are performed in the even subalgebra of $${\mathrm {Cl}}(3)$$ Cl ( 3 ) , including the construction of the Coxeter plane, which is used for visualising the complementary pairs of invariant polytopes, and are shared as supplementary computational work sheets. This approach therefore constitutes a more systematic and general way of performing calculations concerning groups, in particular reflection groups and root systems, in a Clifford algebraic framework.


1975 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. F. Fayle

Extension of the root system and stem during the first 30 years of growth of plantation-grown red pine (Pinusresinosa Ait.) on four sites was deduced by root and stem analyses. Maximum rooting depth was reached in the first decade and maximum horizontal extension of roots was virtually complete between years 15 and 20. The main horizontal roots of red pine seldom exceed 11 m in length. Elongation of vertical and horizontal roots was examined in relation to moisture availability and some physical soil conditions. The changing relations within the tree in lineal dimensions and annual elongation of the roots and stem are illustrated. The development of intertree competition above and below ground is considered.


Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Valters Samariks ◽  
Dace Brizga ◽  
Jeļena Rūba ◽  
Andris Seipulis ◽  
Āris Jansons

Climate change will cause winds to strengthen and storms to become more frequent in Northern Europe. Windstorms reduce the financial value of forests by bending, breaking, or uprooting trees, and wind-thrown trees cause additional economic losses. The resistance of trees to wind damage depends on tree species, tree- and stand-scale parameters, and root-soil plate characteristics such as root-plate size, weight, and rooting depth. The root-soil plate is a complex structure whose mechanical strength is dependent on root-plate width and depth, as the root system provides root attachment with soil and structural support. In Latvia, the common aspen (Populus tremula L.) root system has been studied to develop a belowground biomass model, because information about root system characteristics in relation to tree wind resistance is scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the root-plate dimensions of common aspen stands on fertile mineral soil (luvisol). Study material was collected in the central region of Latvia, where pure mature (41–60 years old) common aspen stands were randomly selected, and dominant trees within the stand were chosen. In total, ten sample trees from ten stands were uprooted. The diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height (H) were measured for each sample tree, and their roots were excavated, divided into groups, washed, measured, and weighed. The highest naturally moist biomass values were observed for coarse roots, and fine root biomass was significantly lower compared to other root groups. All root group biomass values had a strong correlation with the tree DBH. The obtained results show that there is a close, negative relationship between the relative distance from the stem and the relative root-plate depth distribution.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akshay Rajeev ◽  
Vimal Mishra

<p>India is severely affected by tropical cyclones (TC) each year, which generates intense rainfall and strong winds leading to flooding. Most of the TC induced floods have been attributed to heavy rain associated with them. Here we show that both rainfall and elevated antecedent soil moisture due to temporally compounding tropical cyclones cause floods in the major Indian basins. We assess each basin's response to observed TC events from 1980 to 2019 using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model. The VIC model was calibrated (R2 > 0.5) and evaluated against observed hourly streamflow for major river basins in India. We find that rainfall due to TC does not result in floods in the basin, even for rainfall intensities similar to the monsoon period. However, TCs produce floods in the basins, when antecedent soil moisture was high. Our findings have implications for the understanding of TC induced floods, which is crucial for disaster mitigation and management.</p>


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajiang Chen ◽  
Pengli Cheng ◽  
Yajuan Luo

The phenomenon of "cancer villages" has emerged in many parts of rural China, drawing media attention and becoming a fact of social life. However, the relationship between pollution and disease is often hard to discern. Through sociological analysis of several villages with different social and economic structures, the authors offer a comprehensive, historically grounded analysis of the coexistence between the incidence of cancer, environmental pollution and villagers’ lifestyles, as well as the perceptions, claims and responses of different actors. They situate the appearance of "cancer villages" in the context of social, economic and cultural change in China, tracing the evolution of the issue over two decades, and providing deep insights into the complex interactions and trade-offs between economic growth, environmental change and public health.


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