See more from this Division: Joint Sessions
See more from this Session: Soils through Time: Critical Zone Studies of Processes and Their Effects
Abstract:
Consistent with empirical evidence, the predicted root depth is greatest when precipitation and potential evapotranspiration are in balance. For wetter environments, deeper roots are not needed to meet demand; in drier environments, there is no water to warrant deep roots. In wet environments, root depth is more sensitive to rainfall frequency than intensity, and in water-limited ecosystems, the opposite is true. In both wet and dry conditions, recharge decreases and evapotranspiration increases with increasing precipitation frequency and concomitant decreasing intensity. These results can be used to inform both paleoclimate investigations and predictions of the impacts of climate change on critical-zone processes.
See more from this Division: Joint Sessions
See more from this Session: Soils through Time: Critical Zone Studies of Processes and Their Effects