Coarse root distribution of a semi-arid oak savanna estimated with ground penetrating radar

摘要: [1] The binary nature of Northern California's ecohydrology, in which water is either abundantly available or scarce, should be reflected the root architecture native blue oak. Our objective was to quantify carbon storage and understand how form system facilitates ecosystem functioning despite asynchrony between winter availability, spring leaf growth, dry-summer canopy maintenance. To do this, we surveyed coarse distribution with a ground penetrating radar (GPR), due its advantages covering large areas rapidly non-destructively. We calibrated biomass detected by GPR against roots excavated from number small pits. Based on survey six tree configurations (varying age, size, clumping), found that occupy full soil profile old trees reached peak directly above bedrock. As opposed other semi-arid regions, where often develop extensive shallow lateral exploit entire wet-soil medium, density decreased distance bole, dropped sharply beyond 2 m. upscaled stand scale (2.8 ± 0.4 kg m−2) based lidar analysis relative abundance each configuration. argue this deep narrow structure reflects ecohydrology oaks ecosystem. An would not beneficial during growing season, when sufficiently abundant, nor summer, highly limited.