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Re: Infiltration of Prairie Soil

Like in a bluegrass lawn. I've never heard of this happening in prairie!

James C. Trager

On 27 Jul 00, at 10:09, Linda Adair wrote:

> The process the researcher was referring to occurs when many roots and
> hyphae become so densely intertwined that they function as a claypan.
> 
> Linda Adair
> ----------
> >From: Chris Hauser <cehauser@uiuc.edu>
> >To: prairie list serve <prairie@mallorn.com>
> >Subject: Infiltration of Prairie Soil
> >Date: Thu, Jul 27, 2000, 1:27 AM
> >
> 
> >I'm inclined to agree with you.  Many fine roots in the soil usually
> >increases infiltration due to improved soil structure.  If prairies
> >prevented infiltration of rainfall, we'd see a fair amount of runoff
> >from prairies, which we don't.
> >
> >I believe that the researcher was correct in finding that the prairie
> >soil is generally dryer than forest soil, and this probably
> >negatively affects the germination of woody plants, but that doesn't
> >mean that rainfall infiltrates prairie soil more slowly than forest
> >soil.  In fact, the opposite may be the reason:  Is it possible that
> >prairie soil is dryer than forest soil partly because the water moves
> >quickly down into the subsoil/groundwater, out of the reach of the
> >young woody plants?  Of course the soil is dryer for other reasons
> >too, like more exposure to wind, sunlight, etc.
> >
> >Chris.
> >
> >On Mon, 24 Jul 2000, Lee Stone wrote:
> >
> >>Hello, Everyone,
> >>
> >>I just got back from a very pleasant and memorable 17th North
> >>American Prairie Conference in Iowa.  Iowa did a GREAT job hosting
> >>it.  It was the best of the four NAPCs I have attended.
> >>
> >>There was one paper which took me by surprise and I would like your
> >>comments on it.  The title and abstract are below.
> >>
> >>"The control of infiltration as a mechanism for the self-regulation
> >>of prairie ecosystems: Preliminary studies at Rolling Thunder
> >>Prairie State Preserve, Warren County, Iowa."  Steven H. Emerman,
> >>Dept. of Biology and Environmental Science, Simpson College,
> >>Indianola, Iowa 50125
> >>
> >>"All of Iowa's prairie preserves are subject to invasion by woody
> >>plants.  Most studies see the movement of the prairie / forest
> >>boundary as a passive response to the external forces of climate
> >>change, overgrazing and fire suppression.  An alternative hypothesis
> >>is that the prairie ecosystem actively repels woody invasion by
> >>growing in such a way as to keep the soil moisture too low for woody
> >>plants.  The soil moisture is kept low by inhibiting the
> >>infiltration of water which is controlled by the thickness of the
> >>plant roots and the activity of burrowing animals." (Note by me:  no
> >>evidence was provided for this statement.)  "The hypothesis was
> >>tested at Rolling Thunder Prairie State Preserve in southern Warren
> >>County in a portion of the prairie which had not been burned for two
> >>years.  At 8 widely-separated sites, the field-saturated hydraulic
> >>conductivity Kfs was measured 5 m upslope and 5 m downslope from the
> >>prairie / forest boundary.  In five cases, Kfs was greater within
> >>the woody invaders than within the prairie; in three cases, Kfs was
> >>the same within the woody invaders as within the prairie.  Mixed
> >>results were obtained from the burned portion of the prairie."
> >>
> >>
> >>I don't think highly of this study or the hypothesis.  Doesn't seem
> >>like rigorous science.
> >>
> >>Please note where the speaker states that the finer roots of the
> >>grasses make it harder for water to penetrate.  Yet prairie people
> >>here in Texas have been saying that grasslands are one of the finest
> >>plant communities for capturing and moving rainwater into the
> >>ground.  This is based on work done in the Seco Watershed in western
> >>Texas by the Agri Extension Service and Tx A&M where prolific
> >>junipers were removed from portions of a watershed, replaced by
> >>native grasses whose seeds were in the soil bank, and where springs
> >>began to flow again, etc. etc.
> >>
> >>Comments?
> >>
> >>lee stone
> >>Austin, TX
> >>
> >>
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