Monitoring roots of grazed rangeland vegetation with the root periscope/mini-rhizotron technique
Issue Date
1991-05-01Keywords
field experimentationDactylis glomerata
methodology
roots
monitoring
growth rate
cattle
defoliation
grazing
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Karl, M. G., & Doescher, P. S. (1991). Monitoring roots of grazed rangeland vegetation with the root periscope/mini-rhizotron technique. Journal of Range Management, 44(3), 296-298.Publisher
Society for Range ManagementJournal
Journal of Range ManagementDOI
10.2307/4002962Additional Links
https://rangelands.org/Abstract
The root periscope/mini-rhizotron technique has been used most commonly to monitor root growth of field crops in a nondestructive manner. This study introduces a successful application of the technique for monitoring root growth of grazed rangeland vegetation. The relative, root growth response of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L. 'Potomac') to defoliation by cattle was monitored on a conifer plantation in southwest Oregon. Despite stocking densities of about 2.7-4.4 animal unit/ha and 19 days of grazing during 1988, trampling and breakage of mini-rhizotrons on the cattle-grazed area was minimal. Defoliation by cattle had a negative impact on the relative number of roots for grazed orchardgrass in June and July (P < 0.05). Cautions and limitations for the use of the technique on rangelands are presented. The root periscope/mini-rhizotron appears to be a suitable, nondestructive, and affordable (1,000-1,200 per root periscope; 8.50 per mini-rhizotron) technique for monitoring root growth of rangeland vegetation defoliated by livestock and/or native ungulates.Type
textArticle
Language
enISSN
0022-409Xae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.2307/4002962