Root-Fusion Characteristic of Eucalyptus Trees Block Gully Development

Abstract

Soil erosion by water resulting in gully formation is a common occurrence in western Kenya. Establishment of local and sustainable countermeasures to prevent gully development/expansion in western Kenya is an urgent issue. This study presents the proposal to prevent gully development/expansion by planting Eucalyptus trees in gully prone regions. A survey study was undertaken in Kenya from 2008 to 2011. Roots of adjacent Eucalyptus citriodora trees fused forming a dense network of closely woven mass of root system holding large amount of soil thereby checking erosion by water and hence gully development. The network of roots among adjacent Eucalyptus trees also supported the standing and normal growth of the other Eucalyptus trees whose root systems were completely free from soil. Recognizable aging and breakdown of root networks were not observed during the survey period.