Quantifying effects of plant root growth on soil thermal properties and developing in-situ plant root density measurement

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K14940
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 41030:Rural environmental engineering and planning-related
• Research Institution: Gifu University
• Principal Investigator: Kojima Yuki 岐阜大学, 工学部, 准教授 (70767475)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 植物根 / 土壌構造 / 熱輸送特性 / X線CTスキャン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We measured the heat transport properties of root-mixed soil using sensors to elucidate the effects of plant roots on soil structure and heat transport. The impact of different combinations of plants and soils was examined. In addition, we visualized root-mixed soil using X-ray computed tomography. Sensor measurements showed that the growth of plant roots tended to make the soil denser and increase the soil's heat transport properties. In contrast, in kuroboku soil, root growth decreased the soil bulk density and did not change the heat transport properties. In observing root-mixed soil using X-ray CT, we developed a method for extracting plant roots from CT images and successfully analyzed plant roots, soil particles, pore water, and pore air. Important results were obtained to accelerate research on plant roots and soils.

Free Research Field

環境土壌物理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

植物根が土壌に与える影響は多岐にわたり，その中で土壌の熱輸送に与える影響を解明することは，土壌の炭素固定や生態系保全等において重要である．本研究では複数種の植物が複数の土壌の熱輸送特性に与える影響を定量的に評価した．また根混じり土壌のＸ線ＣＴ画像から根を抽出し，土粒子，水，空気の分節化を実現した．これは土壌の熱輸送研究のみでなく，様々な植物根関連研究に展開可能であり，重要な成果が得られた．