Conditions that affect root depth:[1]
- soil properties
- vegetation type
- nutrient availability
- climate
Plants with Deep Roots
edit| Name | Depth | Biome[2] | Growth Form[2] | Range | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| camelthorn (Alhagi maurorum) | 15m | desert | shrub | from Mediterranean to Russia | This legume grows from a massive rhizome system and is commonly found on riverbanks. New shoots can appear 20 feet from the parent plant. Above-ground, it rarely reaches 4 feet in height. It has a variety of medicinal uses. |
| jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) | 40m | tree | sclerophyllous shrubland and forest | south-west of Western Australia | This stringybark tree is from the myrtle family. It can grow to 40m high with a stem measuring 3m in diameter. In certain places, it usually takes form of a mallee, growing from a lignotuber. It typically grows in soils derived from ironstone. It provides multiple habitats for birds, bees, and other animals while alive and even shelter after it falls to animals like the chuditch. Its heavy wood, remarkable resistance to rot, and termite-resistant lumber make it valuable for cabinet making, railway sleepers, piles, musical instrument making, hot tubs, general construction, and more. Jarrah leaves and bark is also used to treat some illnesses and diseases like fevers, colds, headaches, skin diseases, and snake bites. |
| bayahonda blanca (Prosopis juliflora) | 53m | tree | desert | Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean | This legume is a mesquite that can grow to a height of 12m with a trunk diameter of 1.2m. It reproduces solely by seeds and not vegetatively. A mature plant can produce hundreds of thousands of seeds which can remain viable for up to 10 years and are spread by cattle and other animals that consume the pods. The pods are sweet, edible, and nutritious and can be eaten raw, boiled, stored underground, or fermented to make a mildly alcoholic beverage. It is a highly invasive species in many parts of the world. It is a contributing factor to continuing transmission of malaria, especially during dry periods when sugar sources from native plants are largely unavailable to mosquitoes. |
References
edit- ^ Cite error: The named reference
guswa2010_wateroptimalrootdepthwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Canadell; Jackson; Ehleringer (26 January 1996). "Maximum rooting depth of vegetation types at the global scale" (PDF). Oecologia. 108: 583–595. doi:10.1007/BF00329030.pdf.