Background:
Urbanization causes many environmental problems. Urban development has a rapid growth and can impact natural ecosystem by eliminating the majority of native species, changing the richness and composition of the species. There are some restoration efforts to reduce the effects of urban expansion on native ecosystem, including protecting natural habitat and re-establishing modified habitat (McKinney, 2002). Therefore, rebuilding a native ecosystem has become very important. To re-establish natural ecosystem many factors, including soil and plant communities should be studied.
Soil can influence plant growth by providing air, water and nutrients and affecting root growth (Bronick & Lal, 2005). Inadequate soil depth can limit plant development, by restricting root growth. Shallower soil may be insufficient to support plant growth and survival, because they do not have enough depth for plant roots. In addition, the amount of available nutrient in shallow soil is lower than deep soil, so it increases competition among species. The deeper soil has greater water and nutrient storage capacity available for plants. The relationship between soil and plants should be studied in order to improve the management of plant growth (Passioura, 1991).
Plant community may also have important effects on plant survival. Plants can regenerate both sexually and vegetatively. Sexual regeneration can happen by seed at specific times of year, while vegetative regeneration is a form of asexual
reproduction in plants. It can happen when plants produce new shoots along rhizomes below ground or stolons aboveground.
The ability of reproducing both vegetatively and sexually may result in faster landscape colonization and increasing competition that may affect late successional species (Festuca Hallii). There is a hypothesis that shows the dominance of vegetative reproduction in tallgrass prairie may have important effects on community dynamics rather than seed regeneration (Benson & Hartnett, 2006).
Below-ground competition among plants may be stronger than aboveground competition. The underground competition for soil resources including water and mineral nutrient is usually stronger than aboveground competition for light (Casper & Jackson, 1997;Cahill, 2003). Root biomass can affect underground competition. Within a plant with higher root densities, competition can be higher. Belowground competition usually reduces plant growth and can change among species (Cahill, 2003).Due to existence of more roots and rhizomes in rhizomatous community, competition will be higher than non-rhizomatous species.
Understanding how the presence or absence of interaction between soil depth, neighbors of different colonization ability, and their competition will allow us to make management decisions in order to rebuild native plant ecosystems in future.
Soil can influence plant growth by providing air, water and nutrients and affecting root growth (Bronick & Lal, 2005). Inadequate soil depth can limit plant development, by restricting root growth. Shallower soil may be insufficient to support plant growth and survival, because they do not have enough depth for plant roots. In addition, the amount of available nutrient in shallow soil is lower than deep soil, so it increases competition among species. The deeper soil has greater water and nutrient storage capacity available for plants. The relationship between soil and plants should be studied in order to improve the management of plant growth (Passioura, 1991).
Plant community may also have important effects on plant survival. Plants can regenerate both sexually and vegetatively. Sexual regeneration can happen by seed at specific times of year, while vegetative regeneration is a form of asexual
reproduction in plants. It can happen when plants produce new shoots along rhizomes below ground or stolons aboveground.
The ability of reproducing both vegetatively and sexually may result in faster landscape colonization and increasing competition that may affect late successional species (Festuca Hallii). There is a hypothesis that shows the dominance of vegetative reproduction in tallgrass prairie may have important effects on community dynamics rather than seed regeneration (Benson & Hartnett, 2006).
Below-ground competition among plants may be stronger than aboveground competition. The underground competition for soil resources including water and mineral nutrient is usually stronger than aboveground competition for light (Casper & Jackson, 1997;Cahill, 2003). Root biomass can affect underground competition. Within a plant with higher root densities, competition can be higher. Belowground competition usually reduces plant growth and can change among species (Cahill, 2003).Due to existence of more roots and rhizomes in rhizomatous community, competition will be higher than non-rhizomatous species.
Understanding how the presence or absence of interaction between soil depth, neighbors of different colonization ability, and their competition will allow us to make management decisions in order to rebuild native plant ecosystems in future.
Research Objectives:
The objective of this study is to find the effects of soil depth and plant community (rhizomatous and non-rhizomatous species) on Fectuca Hallii growth. In rhizomatous community due to existence of more roots and rhizomes, competition will be higher than non-rhizomatous community. This competition can have negative impact by reducing plant growth.
Expected Results:
General expectation is having more plant growth (with higher height and width) in deeper soil.
The objective of this study is to find the effects of soil depth and plant community (rhizomatous and non-rhizomatous species) on Fectuca Hallii growth. In rhizomatous community due to existence of more roots and rhizomes, competition will be higher than non-rhizomatous community. This competition can have negative impact by reducing plant growth.
Expected Results:
General expectation is having more plant growth (with higher height and width) in deeper soil.
Figure 4: Expected plots for relation between plant growth and soil depth.
But in this case, the collected data are the first-year data (primary data set), so they may not be related to the soil depth. It is expected that the plant growth would be more (clearly) related to the soil depth after one growing season (the next summer).
Plant community may also affect plant growth and survival. Expected result is having higher growth of Festuca in non-rhizomatous community and lower growth in rhizomatous community due to higher competition.
Plant community may also affect plant growth and survival. Expected result is having higher growth of Festuca in non-rhizomatous community and lower growth in rhizomatous community due to higher competition.
