Plant Available Moisture in Stone-soil Media for Use Under Pavement While Allowing Urban Tree Root Growth    (View PDF)

Jason Grabosky, Edward Haffner, and Nina Bassuk

Abstract: Three avenues of experimental observation detail aspects of plant available water holding capacity in compacted stone-soil media designed for urban tree establishment in paved situations. The various compacted media provided an estimated plant available moisture content of 7%–11% by volume, comparable to a loamy sand. Changes in aggregate and of soil influenced initial field capacity moisture content, but high matric potential moisture content was consistent, presumably as a reflection of the aggregate content of the designed system. A large portion of plant available moisture was weakly held in large voids, consistent with related infiltration and permeability data, and could be an influence in water storage and irrigation planning to use layers of designed soils in a layered pavement section for urban vegetation.

Keywords: Stalite; Structural Soil; Plant Available Moisture.

https://doi.org/10.48044/jauf.2009.041