TITLE:
Fine Root Mortality Increased by Earthquake Induced Landslides
AUTHORS:
Yinping Bai, Gang Yang
KEYWORDS:
Earthquake, Forest, Landslide, Fine Root, Root Mortality
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Earthquake Research,
Vol.5 No.3,
August
15,
2016
ABSTRACT: This study determined the effects of earthquake induced landslide on fine root mortality. It is
useful to understand underground soil process after earthquake. We established 9 plots at each of
non-moved and landslide site in Cupressus funebris and Cryptomeria fortunei forest stands near
the fault belt of the Wenchuan Earthquake. Fine roots were sampled at 0 - 10 and 10 - 15 cm soil
layer using aluminum cylinders (100 cm3). We found that earthquake induced landslide significantly
increased fine root mortality in Cupressus funebris and Cryptomeria fortunei forest stands.
Fine root biomass also decreased by landslide at 0 - 10 cm soil layer. We observed that the fine
root biomass and mortality were various with forest type. There were higher fine root mortality
rate (68.4%) and lower fine root biomass (0.48 t/hm2) in Cupressus funebris than the Cryptomeria
fortunei soils (0.97 t/hm2 and 37.4%).