The affect of veldt grass on rainfall disposition and evapotranspiration as measured from soil moisture.
Poster Number
17
Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Artist Statement
Veldt grass (Ehrharta calycina) is native to southern Africa and has become an invasive plant in California coastal areas (California Exotic Pest Plant Council, 1999). In areas where veldt has become established, it competes with native vegetation. My objective is to investigate the soil moisture content directly below grass plants and the surrounding soil in order to interpret the affect of individual veldt grass plants on rainfall disposition and evapotranspiration. My hypothesis is that the veldt grass structure causes the water to channel into and through the soil in a manner that would increase the water available to it and lower the availability for plants in the vicinity. The location of the study is the Bodega Dunes in the Sonoma Coast State Park, which is a coastal dune area. A grid of 10-cm cells was used to sample soil moisture content around individual grass plants with time domain reflectometry. Sampling was done after a rainfall event in February 2002 and evapotranspiration effects will be measured in April 2002. The data will be translated into two continuous contoured surface and vertical plots using Surfer. The results of this study will show us the effects of individual plants on their immediate surroundings and how they manipulate their microclimate.
Location
Pacific Geosciences Center
Start Date
20-4-2002 9:00 AM
End Date
20-4-2002 5:00 PM
The affect of veldt grass on rainfall disposition and evapotranspiration as measured from soil moisture.
Pacific Geosciences Center
Veldt grass (Ehrharta calycina) is native to southern Africa and has become an invasive plant in California coastal areas (California Exotic Pest Plant Council, 1999). In areas where veldt has become established, it competes with native vegetation. My objective is to investigate the soil moisture content directly below grass plants and the surrounding soil in order to interpret the affect of individual veldt grass plants on rainfall disposition and evapotranspiration. My hypothesis is that the veldt grass structure causes the water to channel into and through the soil in a manner that would increase the water available to it and lower the availability for plants in the vicinity. The location of the study is the Bodega Dunes in the Sonoma Coast State Park, which is a coastal dune area. A grid of 10-cm cells was used to sample soil moisture content around individual grass plants with time domain reflectometry. Sampling was done after a rainfall event in February 2002 and evapotranspiration effects will be measured in April 2002. The data will be translated into two continuous contoured surface and vertical plots using Surfer. The results of this study will show us the effects of individual plants on their immediate surroundings and how they manipulate their microclimate.