Root studies on grass species in a semi-arid South Africa along a degradation gradient

Understanding changes in hydrological characteristics of rangeland ecosystems with degradation is essential when making rangeland management decisions in arid and semi-arid areas to ensure sustainable animal production. The impact of rangeland degradation on root production, root/shoot ratio and water-use efficiency was therefore determined for a semi-arid rangeland, over a 7-year period (1999/00 to 2005/06 growing seasons). Water-use efficiency (WUE) is defined as the quantity of above- and/or belowground phytomass produced over a certain period of time per unit of water evapotranspired. Sampling was from rangeland artificially maintained in three different rangeland conditions, viz. good, moderate and poor. As much as 86, 89 and 94% of the roots for rangelands in good, moderate and poor conditions, respectively, occurred at a depth of less than 300 mm. Root mass was strongly seasonal with the most active growth taking place during March and April. Root mass appears to be greater than aboveground phytomass for this semi-arid area, with an increase in roots in relation to aboveground phytomass production with rangeland degradation. The mean monthly root/shoot ratios for rangelands in good, moderate and poor conditions were 1.16, 1.11 and 1.37, respectively. Rangeland degradation significantly lowered above- and belowground phytomass production as well as the water-use efficiency. The mean WUE (root production included) were 4.79, 3.54 and 2.47 kg ha−1 mm−1 for rangelands in good, moderate and poor conditions, respectively. These water-use efficiency observations are among the few also including root production in its calculation. As a proportion of annual phytomass, litter fall of 7.17, 4.64 and 3.41% was obtained for rangelands in good, moderate and poor conditions, respectively. Increasing rangeland degradation increased the replacement of total root system by about 10 months and decomposition time of litter by 6 months. The importance of a well-established root system for sustainable production in the semi-arid rangelands cannot be overemphasized.