Document Type

Paper- Restricted to Campus Access

Publication Date

4-22-2021

Faculty Mentor

Denise Finney

Abstract

Plant diversity has shown to strongly influence ecosystem functions and services, and with the pressures of global climate change, carbon storage in the soil is crucial for the future health of the planet. This research investigates the effect of belowground depth and treatment on root biomass. It is hypothesized the shallowest belowground depth will have the most carbon input because of increased root biomass at the surface. Additionally, as the number of different species in each treatment increases, then the root biomass will increase. After root samples were obtained from three different depths, course and fine roots were separated. The root samples were individually grinded and tin-rolled. The samples were then transported to a machine to measure the carbon concentration in each sample. This investigation is important because we will determine if increased root production could lead to greater carbon storage in the soil.

Comments

Presented as part of the Ursinus College Celebration of Student Achievement (CoSA) held April 22, 2021.

The downloadable file is a poster presentation with audio commentary with a run time of 4:21.

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