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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Oxford, Mississippi » National Sedimentation Laboratory » Water Quality and Ecology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #176243
Title: EFFECTS OF SOIL FLOODING ON ROOT OXYGENATION AND GROWTH IN BLACK WILLOW (SALIX NIGRA) CUTTINGS

Author
item LI, S - UNIV. OF MEMPHIS
item PEZESHKI, S - UNIV. OF MEMPHIS
item Shields Jr, Fletcher

Submitted to: Society of Wetland Scientists
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2005
Publication Date: 6/6/2005
Citation: Li, S., Pezeshki, S.R., Shields Jr, F.D. 2005. Effects of soil flooding on root oxygenation and growth in black willow (Salix nigra) cuttings [abstract]. Society of Wetland Scientists. p. 89.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Black willow (Salix nigra) naturally occurs in floodplains and riparian zones of the southeastern United States. Cuttings from this species are used for streambank stabilization where they are subjected to a range of soil moisture conditions including flooding. This experiment was designed to examine the effects of continuous and partial flooding on root aerenchyma formation, gas exchange and growth of cuttings under laboratory condition. Replicated potted cuttings were subjected to three treatments: no flooding (control, C), continuous flooding (CF) and partial flooding (PF). Water was maintained above the soil surface in CF and at 10 cm depth in PF. Results indicated that soil remained well aerated in C and within the drained zone of PF and was mildly reduced in CF and in the flooded portion of PF. After the 28-day treatments, root porosity ranged between 28.6% and 33.0% for the CF and C plants but was much larger for the PF plants (39.6% for the drained and 37.2% for the flooded portions). A similar response pattern was found for radial oxygen loss. In addition, CF treatment led to decreases in root biomass and low root/shoot ratio. Neither CF nor PF treatments had any detectable adverse effects on plant gas exchange or photosystem II functioning. The results suggested that willow exhibited avoidance mechanisms such as aerenchyma formation and rhizosphere oxygenation in response to flooding. These mechanisms are critical to enabling black willow to thrive in bottomland forests and other types of riparian wetlands. This finding provides evidence that using black willow for streambank restoration over a wide range of soil moisture is justified and remains as a viable strategy.