This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

Re: Infiltration of Prairie Soil

On one of the field trips I went on in the Loess Hills, one of the leaders
mentioned it happens there.  

I asked twice because that was the first I had heard of it.  It seems
logical because if infiltration is fast there, extending the time the plants
have to absorb water would be beneficial to the plants.

Linda Adair
----------
>From: "James C. Trager" <James.trager@mobot.org>
>To: prairie@mallorn.com, owner-prairie@mallorn.com
>Subject: Re: Infiltration of Prairie Soil
>Date: Thu, Jul 27, 2000, 4:40 PM
>

>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
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>--------------------------------------------------------------------
>> >>- To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with
>> >>the message text UNSUBSCRIBE PRAIRIE
>> >>
>> >
>> >---------------------------------------------------------------------
>> >To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
>> >message text UNSUBSCRIBE PRAIRIE
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>> To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
>> message text UNSUBSCRIBE PRAIRIE
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
>message text UNSUBSCRIBE PRAIRIE
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PRAIRIE
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index