Thursday, 9 October 2008: 9:30 AM

George R. Brown Convention Center, 381C

Markus Berli, Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, 755 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89119, Teamrat Ghezzehei, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, One Cyclotron Road, MS 90R1116, Berkeley, CA 94720, Manoj Menon, Geological Sciences and Engineering, University of Nevada Reno, 1664 N.VIRGINIA ST, Reno, NV 89557, Scott Tyler, University of Nevada, University of Nevada-Reno, MS 0175, Reno, NV 89557, Michael Young, Desert Research Institute, Desert Research Institute, 755 E. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89119 and Anthony Dexter, Unité de Science du Sol, INRA, Centre de Recherche d'Orléans, 2163 avenue de la Pomme de Pin, Olivet, 45166, France

The rhizosphere encompasses the volume of soil surrounding living plant roots and is strongly modified by plant activities. Root growth, uptake of water and nutrients, secretion of mucilages alter the physical, chemical, and biological properties in this region. Of these, the impacts on physical properties have received little attention. In this work we show some potential interactions between plant roots and soil mechanical and physical properties using numerical modeling the hydrological and mechanical changes that accompany growth of a single plant root. Our simulations show how root activities alter the mechanical and physical properties (such as density, water retention characteristics) and how these alterations in turn impact water delivery to the plant roots.

See more of: Coupling Water and Chemical Transport and Fate in the Soil Root, Vadose, and Groundwater Zones at Different Scales
See more of: S01 Soil Physics

2008 Joint Annual Meeting (5-9 Oct. 2008): Modeling Rhizosphere Soil Mechanics and Hydraulics - An Overview.

783-1 Modeling Rhizosphere Soil Mechanics and Hydraulics - An Overview.