An analytical model to relate the vertical root distribution to climate and soil properties

Abstract

We propose an analytical model to relate the vertical distribution of plant roots in water controlled ecosystems to the local climatic and pedologic conditions. We find that the shape of the root profile is determined by the distribution of the incoming rainfall pulses, and that the rooting systems are deeper where the soils are coarse-textured and the evaporative demand slightly exceeds precipitation. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.