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Are deeper roots better?
Related publications
Kulmatiski, A. and Beard, K.H., 2022. A modern two‐layer hypothesis helps resolve the ‘savanna problem’. Ecology Letters, 25(9), pp.1952-1960.
Kulmatiski, A., Holdrege, M.C.*, Chirvasa, C*., Beard, K.H. Root distributions predict shrub-steppe responses to precipitation intensity. Biogeochemistry Discussions.
Holdrege, M.C*., Beard, K.A., Kulmatiski, A., Palmquist, K. Precipitation intensification increases shrub dominance in arid, not mesic ecosystems. Ecosystems.
Kulmatiski, A., Adler, P.B. and Foley, K.M., 2020. Hydrologic niches explain species coexistence and abundance in a shrub–steppe system. Journal of Ecology, 108(3), pp.998-1008.
Project type
Field work supported by the Andrew Mellon Foundation occurred between 2007 and 2013. We continue to analyze the massive amount of data collected from that field work.
Contrary to the long-standing two-layer hypothesis, our research has shown that deeper roots can absorb more water than shallow roots under a wide range of conditions. In this research, we are exploring tracer uptake patterns by dominant vs. subdominant and short vs. tall species.
