Biomechanical Trade‐Offs Between Root Tensile Strength and Porosity in Coastal Marshes
Abstract
Abstract Root biomechanics play a fundamental role in stabilizing wetland soils and sustaining coastal ecosystems under increasing environmental stress. This study investigates the tensile strength (TS) and internal porosity (n) of roots from two dominant marsh grasses, Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens , across four sites in the Mississippi River Delta Plain (MRDP), spanning active (Atchafalaya) and inactive (Terrebonne) basins. Through approximately 300 tensile strength tests conducted on live roots across diameter classes and depths, we observed a consistent decline in strength with increasing root diameter and depth. Fine roots (
Fields of Study & Subjects
Tree Root and Stability Studies
Plant responses to water stress
Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Volume
- 131
- Issue
- 2
- Publication date
- 1 February 2026
- Language
- EN