Soil hypoxia induced by an organic-material mulching technique stimulates the bamboo rhizome up-floating of Phyllostachys praecox.

ABSTRACT: Phyllostachys praecox bamboo stands significantly recede after 3 or 4 years using an organic-material mulching technique consecutively. We hypothesized that the bamboo recession is caused by the up-floating of underground rhizome stimulated by soil hypoxia through the mulching technique. This study aimed to validate this hypothesis by field investigation. Bamboo underground rhizome distribution in the soil profile of P. praecox subjected to various mulching times was investigated. Results showed that bamboo rhizome weights and lengths increased with increased mulching time. However, after 4 years of mulching, the number of fresh rhizomes decreased significantly, and more than 50% of rhizomes floated upward to the shallow soil layer (0-10 cm). Moreover, the 0-10 cm soil layer suffered sever

SUBMITTER: Xu M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5662596 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature