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Root Traits and Erosion Resistance of Three Endemic Grasses for Estuarine Sand Drift Control

Author

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  • Jung-Tai Lee

    (Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, National Chiayi University, Chiayi 60004, Taiwan)

  • Cheng-Ying Shih

    (Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, National Chiayi University, Chiayi 60004, Taiwan)

  • Jia-Tsung Wang

    (Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, National Chiayi University, Chiayi 60004, Taiwan)

  • You-Hua Liang

    (Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, National Chiayi University, Chiayi 60004, Taiwan)

  • Yu-Shan Hsu

    (Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, National Chiayi University, Chiayi 60004, Taiwan)

  • Ming-Jen Lee

    (Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, National Chiayi University, Chiayi 60004, Taiwan)

Abstract

In southern Taiwan, rivers sporadically cease to flow and dry up in winter. The exposed dry riverbeds are very vulnerable to wind erosion. The strong northeast monsoon often induces serious estuarine sand drift and fugitive dust, which cause damages to agricultural crops, human health and infrastructures. Giant reed ( Arundo formosana ), common reed ( Phragmite australis ) and the wild sugarcane ( Saccharum spontaneum ) are pioneer grass species in estuary areas. They have great potential to reduce wind erosion and control windblown dust on agricultural lands. Nevertheless, their root traits, biomechanical characteristics and wind erosion resistance have not been investigated. In this research, the root traits were investigated utilizing the hand digging technique and the WinRHIZO Pro System. Root pullout resistance and root tensile strength were estimated using vertical pullout and root tensile tests. Wind tunnel tests were executed to evaluate the wind erosion resistance using six-month-old plants. The results demonstrated that the growth performance and root functional traits of S. spontaneum are superior to those of A. formosana and P. australis . Additionally, the root anchorage ability and root tensile strength of S. spontaneum plants are notably greater than those of A. formosana and P. australis plants. Furthermore, the results of the wind tunnel tests showed that the wind erosion resistance of A. formosana is remarkably higher than those of S. spontaneum and P. australis . This study demonstrates that A. formosana and S. spontaneum are superior to P. australis , considering root traits, root anchorage ability, root tensile strength and wind erosion resistance. Taken together, our results suggest that S. spontaneum and P. australis are favorable for riverbed planting, while A. formosana is applicable for riverbank planting in estuary areas. These results, together with data on the acclimation of estuarine grasses in waterlogged soils and brackish waters, provide vital information for designing planting strategies of estuary grasses for the ecological engineering of estuarine sand drift control.

Suggested Citation

  • Jung-Tai Lee & Cheng-Ying Shih & Jia-Tsung Wang & You-Hua Liang & Yu-Shan Hsu & Ming-Jen Lee, 2022. "Root Traits and Erosion Resistance of Three Endemic Grasses for Estuarine Sand Drift Control," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-15, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:8:p:4672-:d:793340
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yuanjun Yang & Lihua Chen & Ning Li & Qiufen Zhang, 2016. "Effect of Root Moisture Content and Diameter on Root Tensile Properties," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(3), pages 1-17, March.
    2. Abdullah Al Mamun & Abu Reza Md. Towfiqul Islam & Edris Alam & Subodh Chandra Pal & G. M. Monirul Alam, 2022. "Assessing Riverbank Erosion and Livelihood Resilience Using Traditional Approaches in Northern Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-16, February.
    3. Jung-Tai Lee & Lin-Zhi Yen & Ming-Yang Chu & Yu-Syuan Lin & Chih-Chia Chang & Ru-Sen Lin & Kung-Hsing Chao & Ming-Jen Lee, 2020. "Growth Characteristics and Anti-Wind Erosion Ability of Three Tropical Foredune Pioneer Species for Sand Dune Stabilization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-15, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Chaobo Zhang & Xiaohui Feng & Geng Qu & Qihong Yang & Jing Jiang, 2023. "How Does Embedding Angle Affect Root–Soil Mechanical Interactions?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-15, February.

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