Aboveground and Root Growth Dynamics of Native Herbaceous Species and Their Potential for Rapid Ground Cover in Restoration Projects in a Subtropical Climate
Bibliographic Data
Soil erosion is one of the main causes of land degradation and a threat to global ecosystem conservation. Herbaceous species, such as native species, can be used for surface protection, soil aggregation, and nutrient cycling. However, it is necessary to know the functional traits above and below ground, and how soil attributes and climatic variables can affect morphological variables. A 3‐year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the aboveground and root growth dynamics of native herbaceous species for rapid ground cover, and their relationship to soil chemical variables was evaluated in a subtropical climate. Four perennial and herbaceous plant species native to Brazil, Arachis pintoi , Axonopus affinis , Paspalum notatum , and Sphagneticola trilobata , were propagated in a greenhouse and then planted in randomized plots in 2018, with 36 plants in each plot. Over time, we evaluated vegetation cover (%), aboveground biomass production (AGB) and root morphology dynamics using a minirhizotron system. A. affinis , A. pintoi , P. notatum , and S. trilobata present great potential for quick establishment required in restoration projects for soil erosion control. After 12 months at transplantation, all species had covered more than 94% of the soil surface. However, their aboveground (AGB) and belowground (number of roots, length of roots, surface area of roots, root length density) functional traits decreased under conditions of low rainfall and low P, Ca, Mg, pH in water, and base saturation. The grass species, especially P. notatum , are more resistant to precipitation changes, maintaining great amounts of biomass above ground (816 kg ha −1 ) and root system with a higher number of thin roots and high RLD (42.2 km m −3 ) in the surface layers of the soil, even in conditions of water limitation. Our results provide the initial basis for the use of native herbaceous species for the prevention and control of soil erosion and assist in the selection of the most suitable species for each purpose and environmental condition
Agroforestry · Biology · Geography · Herbaceous plant · Invasive species · Restoration Ecology · Subtropics · Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems · Engineering · Environmental Science · Seedling growth and survival studies · Soil Management and Crop Yield · Ecology
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