- Email: [email protected]
Methods of studying root systems
Biological Conservation 19 (1980-81) 159-161
BOOK REVIEWS
Methods of Studying Root Systems. By W. B6hm. Ecological Studies No. 33 Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York. 1979. 188 pp. Price: DM69, US$38.80. Knowledge of plant root systems is often the key to understanding how a plant functions in the field, yet their study is one of the most neglected areas of ecological research. Why this should be is explained in this volume, where the methods available for studying roots are critically examined and evaluated by an author who clearly has much practical experience himself. Most known methods are tedious, time-consuming and the accuracy of their results is often not very great. Nevertheless, roots deserve much greater study, for not only do they provide the plant with nutrients and water, they also provide it with anchorage and the opportunity to exploit space not occupied by other plants. In this concise, well,written book, the author not only provides details of the various methods available so that the newcomer to root studies is presented with the material on which to base a choice of methods, but he also provides a most useful critical evaluation of each method. In chapters on excavation techniques, monoliths, auger methods, profile and glass wall methods, and a catch-all chapter in which other methods are lumped, the author lucidly describes the range of choice. Attention is given to important details such as the tools which can be used in root studies and the time taken to complete an operation. For example, did you know that 60 tons of soil may have to be moved in the excavation of a mature orchard tree or that it takes one man 5 weeks to excavate, measure and record the root system of a 15 year old lodgepole tree? With its 69 clear, black-and-white photographs and 1064 references, this book will be essential reading for anyone contemplating studying plant roots and will serve as a useful reference book for a wide range of workers from many disciplines including those in agriculture, forestry and ecology. T. C. E. WELLS 159 Biol. Conserv. (19) (1981)--© Applied Science Publishers Ltd, England, 1981
Printed in Great Britain
BOOK REVIEWS
Methods of Studying Root Systems. By W. B6hm. Ecological Studies No. 33 Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York. 1979. 188 pp. Price: DM69, US$38.80. Knowledge of plant root systems is often the key to understanding how a plant functions in the field, yet their study is one of the most neglected areas of ecological research. Why this should be is explained in this volume, where the methods available for studying roots are critically examined and evaluated by an author who clearly has much practical experience himself. Most known methods are tedious, time-consuming and the accuracy of their results is often not very great. Nevertheless, roots deserve much greater study, for not only do they provide the plant with nutrients and water, they also provide it with anchorage and the opportunity to exploit space not occupied by other plants. In this concise, well,written book, the author not only provides details of the various methods available so that the newcomer to root studies is presented with the material on which to base a choice of methods, but he also provides a most useful critical evaluation of each method. In chapters on excavation techniques, monoliths, auger methods, profile and glass wall methods, and a catch-all chapter in which other methods are lumped, the author lucidly describes the range of choice. Attention is given to important details such as the tools which can be used in root studies and the time taken to complete an operation. For example, did you know that 60 tons of soil may have to be moved in the excavation of a mature orchard tree or that it takes one man 5 weeks to excavate, measure and record the root system of a 15 year old lodgepole tree? With its 69 clear, black-and-white photographs and 1064 references, this book will be essential reading for anyone contemplating studying plant roots and will serve as a useful reference book for a wide range of workers from many disciplines including those in agriculture, forestry and ecology. T. C. E. WELLS 159 Biol. Conserv. (19) (1981)--© Applied Science Publishers Ltd, England, 1981
Printed in Great Britain