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Earth's Systems / Biological processes / Terrestrial ecosystem functioning / Water movement / Hydraulic redistribution by roots (0.04-1.3 mm per day)

Hydraulic redistribution by roots (0.04-1.3 mm per day)

Roots act as passive conduits that move water along water-potential gradients, usually from wet deep soil to dry shallow soil at night (hydraulic lift) and sometimes downward after rain, buffering drought for plants and soil microbes.

Boundary: where this process starts

Starts with: Night: stomata close and roots lift water from wet subsoil to dry topsoil

Boundary: where it ends

Ends after: Topsoil nutrient uptake increases and plant water status improves; Daytime transpiration pulls water back out of shallow layers

PARTICIPANTSRESOURCESRootsPlantsMycorrhizalfungiSoilBacteriaWaterNitrogenPhosphorusImpact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.↻ reinforces · weak · 0.2 deeper stores drawImpact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact -2 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Night: stomata close and roots lift water from wet subsoil to dry topsoil: uses WaterRedistributed water keeps topsoil roots, hyphae and microbes active in dry spells: uses WaterRedistributed water keeps topsoil roots, hyphae and microbes active in dry spells: uses NitrogenTopsoil nutrient uptake increases and plant water status improves: uses WaterTopsoil nutrient uptake increases and plant water status improves: uses up Nitrogenuses upTopsoil nutrient uptake increases and plant water status improves: uses up Phosphorususes upDaytime transpiration pulls water back out of shallow layers: uses up Wateruses upmoved upward into drytopsoilWater: moved upward into dry topsoilkeeps topsoil biotahydratedWater: keeps topsoil biota hydratedaccessed by shallowrootsNitrogen: accessed by shallow rootsimproves plant waterstatusWater: improves plant water statustaken up from topsoilNitrogen: taken up from topsoiltaken up from topsoilPhosphorus: taken up from topsoilpulled out of shallowlayersWater: pulled out of shallow layersStart: Hydraulicredistribution by roots(0.04-1.3 mm per day)STARTStart: Hydraulic redistribution by roots (0.04-1.3 mm per day)End: Hydraulicredistribution by roots(0.04-1.3 mm per day)ENDEnd: Hydraulic redistribution by roots (0.04-1.3 mm per day)Night: stomata closeand roots lift waterfrom wet subsoil to d…👍1📄1Night: stomata close and roots lift water from wet subsoil to dry topsoilRedistributed waterkeeps topsoil roots,hyphae and microb…📄1 ↗1Redistributed water keeps topsoil roots, hyphae and microbes active in dry spellsTopsoil nutrient uptakeincreases and plantwater status improves📄1Topsoil nutrient uptake increases and plant water status improvesDaytime transpirationpulls water back out ofshallow layers📄1Daytime transpiration pulls water back out of shallow layers
Line thickness = size of impact (1 to 5)% on a line = chance a fork takes that branch📄 = pieces of evidence on a stepNegative effectLoops backHypothesisResource used up (arrow into the step)Resource used, not used upResource made or released (arrow out of the step)
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Participant
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Resource
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Size of impact
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Every step, with its evidence

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Night: stomata close and roots lift water from wet subsoil to dry topsoil
RootsSoilWater
Evidence (1) · added by Quanta
  • Neumann 2012, The magnitude of hydraulic redistribution by plant roots: a review and synthesis, New Phytologist, doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04088.x: Hydraulic lift occurs when transpiration stops and upper soil is drier than deep roots; magnitude 0.04-1.3 mm/day. (confidence 0.6)
Redistributed water keeps topsoil roots, hyphae and microbes active in dry spells
RootsMycorrhizal fungiBacteriaWaterNitrogen
Evidence (1) · added by Quanta
  • Neumann 2012, The magnitude of hydraulic redistribution by plant roots: a review and synthesis, New Phytologist, doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04088.x: Redistributed water supports nutrient uptake and microbial activity in dry topsoil; review notes ecological significance. (confidence 0.5)
Topsoil nutrient uptake increases and plant water status improves
PlantsRootsWaterNitrogenPhosphorus
Evidence (1) · added by Quanta
  • Neumann 2012, The magnitude of hydraulic redistribution by plant roots: a review and synthesis, New Phytologist, doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04088.x: Improved root function in dry topsoil increases nutrient capture. (confidence 0.45)
Daytime transpiration pulls water back out of shallow layers
PlantsAtmosphereWater
Evidence (1) · added by Quanta
  • Neumann 2012, The magnitude of hydraulic redistribution by plant roots: a review and synthesis, New Phytologist, doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04088.x: Daytime reversal of flow; net gain is a fraction of transpiration (order 10-20 percent). (confidence 0.4)