A previous study reported results from an evaluation of root biomass under nine vegetation types in Montana and concluded that since root biomass in the top 1-cm soil layer was low, this should be taken as evidence that light rainshowers are of little value to plants. The objective of this note is to present an analysis which will test the generality of this conclusion. Our calculations for a range of sites showed that even under very dry conditions, a 5-mm rainshower should wet the root zone and become a potential soil water resource for plants. Furthermore, basing our assertion on root morphology and the distribution of roots in the soil, we suggest that the value of light rainshowers to plants may vary with their life form.
The American Midland Naturalist has been published for 90 years by the University of Notre Dame. The connotations of Midland and Naturalist have broadened and its geographic coverage now includes North America with occasional articles from other continents. The old image of naturalist has changed and the journal publishes what Charles Elton aptly termed "scientific natural history" including field and experimental biology. Its significance and breadth of coverage are evident in that the American Midland Naturalist is among the most frequently cited journals in publications on ecology, mammalogy, herpetology, ornithology, ichthyology, parasitology, aquatic and invertebrate biology and other biological disciplines.
Simultaneously an international center for Catholic thought, a teaching-focused liberal arts college, and a dynamic hub for research and scholarship, the College of Arts and Letters at the University of Notre Dame provides its students with an education that fuels their passion for learning while preparing them to make a difference in the world. The largest and oldest college in the university, Arts and Letters houses the divisions of the arts, humanities, and social sciences. It encompasses 21 departments, more than 40 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and a variety of interdisciplinary centers. Approximately 2,500 undergraduates and 750 graduate students pursue degrees through Arts and Letters programs; students from throughout Notre Dame enroll in thought-provoking Arts and Letters courses.
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The American Midland Naturalist
© 1985 The University of Notre Dame