Background and aims To optimise soil conditions for agriculture and engineering, we must better understand how root growth and decomposition affect soil hydraulic properties. This paper investigates soil hydraulic properties down soil columns containing grass, forb, and legume species before and after root decomposition. Methods Contrasting species (2 grasses, 1 forb, 1 legume) were grown within repacked soil columns. These so...

Aims Test the effects of root drying on biomechanical properties of fibrous roots. Methods Tensile strength and Young’s modulus of Festuca arundinacea roots were tested after full hydration and during progressive drying. Root diameter, water loss, and water content were measured for all treatments. Results Hydrated roots showed weak relations between biomechanical properties and diameter. After only 30 min air-drying, both ten...

In this paper we document dense water formation throughout the Adriatic shelf and coastal area in January/February 2012, resulting in record-breaking densities observed during and after the event. The unprecedented dense water generation was preconditioned by a dry and warm year which resulted in a significant reduction of coastal freshwaters, superimposed on a long-term basin-wide salinity increase. The final event that trigg...