The Plant Rooting Depth Database provides information that can help assess whether groundwater-dependent vegetation are accessing groundwater. Actual rooting depths will depend on the plant species and site-specific conditions, such as soil type and availability of other water sources. Site-specific knowledge of depth to groundwater combined with rooting depths will help provide an understanding of the potential groundwater levels are needed to sustain GDEs.
How to use the database
The maximum rooting depth information in the Plant Rooting Depth Database is useful when verifying whether vegetation in the Natural Communities Commonly Associated with Groundwater (NC Dataset) are connected to groundwater. A 30 ft depth-to-groundwater threshold, which is based on averaged global rooting depth data for phreatophytes [1], is relevant for most plants identified in the NC Dataset since most plants have a max rooting depth of less than 30 feet. However, it is important to note that deeper thresholds are necessary for other plants that have reported maximum root depths that exceed the averaged 30 feet threshold, such as valley oak (Quercus lobata), Euphrates poplar (Populus euphratica), salt cedar (Tamarix spp.), and shadescale (Atriplex confertifolia). The Nature Conservancy advises that the reported max rooting depth for these deeper-rooted plants be used. For example, a depth-to groundwater threshold of 80 feet should be used instead of the 30 ft threshold, when verifying whether valley oak polygons from the NC Dataset are connected to groundwater. It is important to re-emphasize that actual rooting depth data are limited and will depend on the plant species and site-specific conditions such as soil and aquifer types, and availability to other water sources.
The Plant Rooting Depth Database is an Excel workbook composed of four worksheets:
- California phreatophyte rooting depth data (included in the NC Dataset)
- Global phreatophyte rooting depth data
- Metadata
- References
How the database was compiled
The Plant Rooting Depth Database is a compilation of rooting depth information for the groundwater-dependent plant species identified in the NC Dataset. Rooting depth data were compiled from published scientific literature and expert opinion through a crowdsourcing campaign. As more information becomes available, the database of rooting depths will be updated. Please contact us if you have additional rooting depth data for California phreatophytes.