| Autor: |
Angela T Moles, Ashika Jagdish, Yameng Wu, Suzanna Gooley, Rhiannon L Dalrymple, Phoebe Feng, Jennifer Auld, Georgia Badgery, Matilda Balding, Andrew Bell, Nora Campbell, Mark Clark, Michelle Clark, Kyle M Crawford, Oliver de Lorenzo, Amelia Fletcher, Zoe Ford, Haley Fort, Simon B Z Gorta, Alexander Hagan, Frank A Hemmings, Gabriella S Hoban, Thomasine Hulme, Kit King, Anish Kumar, Angelique Kyriazis, Beatrice Alexandra Laitly, Joshua Markovski, Len Martin, Geoffrey McDonnell, Cindy Pan, Ruby Paroissien, Polly Reeves-Perrin, Michi Sano, Sebastian M Schwarz, Alena Sipka, Michael Sullings, Jing Wei Yeong, William K Cornwell |
| Jazyk: |
angličtina |
| Rok vydání: |
2019 |
| Předmět: |
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| Zdroj: |
PLoS ONE, Vol 14, Iss 12, p e0226845 (2019) |
| Druh dokumentu: |
article |
| ISSN: |
1932-6203 |
| DOI: |
10.1371/journal.pone.0226845 |
| Popis: |
Large urban trees have many benefits. However, falling branches pose a serious hazard to both people and infrastructure. In several tree species, aerial roots grow down from branches to the ground. These roots are capable of thickening to support the branches, lessening the risk of tree failure. Unfortunately, in urban environments most aerial roots die before reaching the ground. Here, we report a new method for encouraging aerial roots to reach the ground, developed by the second-year botany class at UNSW Sydney. Our class tested three experimental treatments on aerial roots of Ficus rubiginosa Desf. ex Vent. (Port Jackson Fig)-PVC pipes filled with sphagnum moss, PVC pipes filled with potting mix, and PVC pipes filled with sphagnum moss and topped with funnels to catch extra rainwater. All three treatments significantly improved aerial root growth, with 26 of the 30 (87%) treatment roots reaching the ground after one year compared to 0 of the 10 control roots. Our method was successful for roots up to 3 m above the ground, suggesting the potential growth rate of aerial roots is substantial when conditions are favourable. Our novel approach is an attractive and cost-effective alternative to slings and other artificial supports. This project is an example of using undergraduate practical classes to teach science while simultaneously addressing important real-world problems. |
| Databáze: |
Directory of Open Access Journals |
| Externí odkaz: |
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