Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026
06:02
Measuring Stolons and Rhizomes of Turfgrasses Using a Digital Image Analysis System
Published on: February 19, 2019
Linking water uptake with rooting patterns in grassland species
Jesse B Nippert1, Alan K Knapp
1Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA. gostate@ku.edu
Oecologia
|May 5, 2007
Summary
Grassland species use water differently based on rainfall and landscape position, especially during droughts. C3 plants access deeper water, while C4 grasses rely on surface moisture, influencing primary productivity.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Plant Physiology
- Biogeochemistry
Background:
- Water availability is a key factor controlling grassland productivity.
- Species-specific water partitioning by depth is assumed but lacks direct evidence.
- Topography and soil depth influence water resource heterogeneity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate species-specific water use strategies in a grassland ecosystem.
- To determine how topography and seasonal drought affect plant water sources.
- To provide direct evidence for water partitioning differences among co-occurring grassland species.
Main Methods:
- Measured stable oxygen isotope ratios (delta(18)O) in plant xylem water from seven species.
- Compared plant water isotopes to soil water isotopes, rainfall, and groundwater data.
- Analyzed water use patterns across a topographic gradient over two growing seasons.
Main Results:
- Species exhibited distinct temporal water use patterns and drought responses.
- During wet periods, most species utilized shallow soil water linked to recent rainfall.
- During dry periods, C3 species shifted to deeper water sources, unlike C4 grasses; upland plants used shallower water than lowland plants.
Conclusions:
- Topographic position and precipitation history significantly influence grassland species' water use.
- Despite varied root depths, competition for surface moisture occurs when water is abundant.
- Water partitioning strategies are more dynamic and context-dependent than previously assumed based solely on root distribution.
Related Concept Videos
02:34Water and Mineral Acquisition
Specialized tissues in plant roots have evolved to capture water, minerals, and some ions from the soil. Roots exhibit a variety of branching patterns that facilitate this process. The outermost root cells have specialized structures called root hairs that increase the root surface, thus increasing soil contact. Water can passively cross into roots, as the concentration of water in the soil is higher than that of the root tissue. Minerals, in contrast, are actively transported into root cells.
02:41Responses to Drought and Flooding
Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.
02:03Xylem and Transpiration-driven Transport of Resources
The xylem of vascular plants distributes water and dissolved minerals that are taken up by the roots to the rest of the plant. The cells that transport xylem sap are dead upon maturity, and the movement of xylem sap is a passive process.
01:57Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.
02:04Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata
During photosynthesis, plants acquire the necessary carbon dioxide and release the produced oxygen back into the atmosphere. Openings in the epidermis of plant leaves is the site of this exchange of gasses. A single opening is called a stoma—derived from the Greek word for “mouth.” Stomata open and close in response to a variety of environmental cues.
01:46The Apoplast and Symplast
Plant growth depends on its ability to take up water and dissolved minerals from the soil. The root system of every plant is equipped with the necessary tissues to facilitate the entry of water and solutes. The plant tissues involved in the transport of water and minerals have two major compartments - the apoplast and the symplast. The apoplast includes everything outside the plasma membrane of living cells and consists of cell walls, extracellular spaces, xylem, phloem, and tracheids. The...