Root systems, spatial patterns, and competition for soil moisture between two desert subshrubs

Haplopappus cooperi and Chrysothamnus teretifolius are important elements on alluvial fans in the Owens Valley of California. Selective removal field experiments, followed for 7 months, revealed that Haplopappus predawn water potentials were significantly less negative after removal of neighboring p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of botany 1988-06, Vol.75 (6), p.885-893
Main Authors: Manning, S.J, Barbour, M.G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Biological and medical sciences
BIOLOGICAL COMPETITION
CHRYSOTHAMNUS
chrysothamnus teretifolius
COMPETENCIA BIOLOGICA
COMPETITION BIOLOGIQUE
COMPOSITAE
CONTENIDO DE AGUA EN EL SUELO
DESERT
Desert soils
DESERTS
DESIERTOS
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
HAPLOPAPPUS
haplopappus cooperi
PLANTAS
PLANTE
PLANTS
ROOT SYSTEMS
Rooting depth
Shrubs
SISTEMA RADICULAR
Soil depth
Soil rooting depth
Soil water
SOIL WATER CONTENT
Subshrubs
Synecology
SYSTEME RACINAIRE
TENEUR EN EAU DU SOL
Terrestrial ecosystems
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Summary:Haplopappus cooperi and Chrysothamnus teretifolius are important elements on alluvial fans in the Owens Valley of California. Selective removal field experiments, followed for 7 months, revealed that Haplopappus predawn water potentials were significantly less negative after removal of neighboring plants of either species, whereas Chrysothamnus predawn water potentials were unchanged, compared to controls. Haplopappus also showed a more dramatic response in water potential following supplemental watering at the end of the dry season. Excavations showed that the root systems of the two species were different: the majority of Haplopappus root biomass was within the upper 20 cm of soil, but for Chrysothamnus it was below 40 cm depth. Spatial pattern was not always a reliable predictor of biotic interaction in this desert community: Chrysothamnus individuals were aggregated, Haplopappus individuals were distributed at random, and plants of the two species were randomly associated.
ISSN:0002-9122
1537-2197
DOI:10.1002/j.1537-2197.1988.tb13512.x