Living bridges using aerial roots of ficus elastica - an interdisciplinary perspective.

ABSTRACT: Here we report on a pilot study of the Living Root Bridges (LRBs) in the Indian State Meghalaya, which are grown with aerial roots of Ficus elastica, a facultative hemiepiphyte developing abundant aerial roots. Locals use these aerial roots to build living bridges, which strengthen themselves over time due to adaptive secondary growth and their capacity to form a mechanically stable structure via inosculations. An extensive inventory of LRBs in Meghalaya including data of location, altitude, approximate age and bridge length was performed in field studies. Root morphology was characterised by measurements of cross-sectional area and shape-related parameters and analysed in relation to the orientation of the roots. LRBs are found to occur mainly in the mountainous limestone rainforests wher

SUBMITTER: Ludwig F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6706416 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature