Root system traits of Mahonia aquifolium and its potential use in soil reinforcement in mountain horticultural practices

Modelling soil erosion reduction by Mahonia aquifolium on hillslopes in Hungary: The impact of soil stabilization by roots

“…In a previous field study (Hudek et al, 2010) the root system of cultivated M. aquifolium was found to be well suited for shallow soil stabilization from an early age. In Hudek et al (2010) the M. aquifolium root study showed that a cultivated plant (ploughing, fertilization, weed and disease control are applied) has in general a well developed, dense, lateral and sinker root system, and the densest root area ratio (0.04%) in the top 0.05 m soil layer where the soil is generally weakest.…”

“…The harvest of the foliage takes place during autumn and winter, and involves the removal of the entire canopy. The dense foliage plays a significant role in raindrop energy reduction, but after harvest its root system provides the only protective function against soil loss (Hudek et al, 2010). Roots increase the resistance of the soil by improving its mechanical and hydrological properties (e.g.…”

“…In Hudek et al (2010) the M. aquifolium root study showed that a cultivated plant (ploughing, fertilization, weed and disease control are applied) has in general a well developed, dense, lateral and sinker root system, and the densest root area ratio (0.04%) in the top 0.05 m soil layer where the soil is generally weakest. The study (Hudek et al, 2010) also showed that the mean number of roots and the root area ratio (RAR) were significantly higher for cultivated M. aquifolium plants compared to non-cultivated (ploughing, fertilization, irrigation, weed and disease control are neglected) ones. A gradual decrease in the mean number of roots and RAR by depth was also observed.…”

“…USLE, EUROSEM, WEPP) have been successfully applied in Hungary to predict soil loss and surface runoff from cultivated hill-slopes (Centeri et al, 2009). However, despite previous field studies on M. aquifolium cultivation (Hudek and Rey, 2009;Hudek et al, 2010) a limited amount of input data for model applications is available and a parsimonious model was sought which could estimate the annual soil loss from a field-size hillslope with limited available field data. Hence, the Revised Morgan-Morgan-Finney model (RMMF) was selected for this study.…”

Investigation of Root Distribution and Tensile Strength of Acacia mangium Willd (Fabaceae) in the Rainforest

“…Before testing, root diameter was measured in five points along the root length. The key point in the machine is the following: 1) constant strain rate of 10 mm/min, based on the other authors Bischetti et al 2005;De Baets et al 2008;Abdi et al 2010a;Hudek et al 2010;Burylo et al 2011; and 2) the only specimens which broke in the middle of the root length would take into consideration, ensuring that the rupture is due to tensile force, not root structure or stress due to clamp .…”