Quantitative, nondestructive estimates of coarse root biomass in a temperate pine forest using 3‐D ground‐penetrating radar (GPR)

Abstract Coarse root biomass was estimated in a temperate pine forest using high‐resolution (1 GHz) 3‐D ground‐penetrating radar (GPR). GPR survey grids were acquired across a 400 m 2 area with varying line spacing (12.5 and 25 cm). Root volume and biomass were estimated directly from the 3‐D radar volume by using isometric surfaces calculated with the marching cubes algorithm. Empirical relations between GPR reflection amplitude and root diameter were determined for 14 root segments (0.1–10 cm diameter) reburied in a 6 m 2 experimental test plot and surveyed at 5–25 cm line spacing under dry and wet soil conditions. Reburied roots >1.4 cm diameter were detectable as continuous root structures with 5 cm line separation. Reflection amplitudes were strongly controlled by soil moisture and decreased by ~40% with a twofold increase in soil moisture. GPR line intervals of 12.5 and 25 cm produced discontinuous mapping of roots, and GPR coarse root biomass estimates (0.92 kgC m −2 ) were lower than those obtained previously with a site‐specific allometric equation due to nondetection of vertical roots and roots <1.5 cm diameter. The results show that coarse root volume and biomass can be estimated directly from interpolated 3‐D GPR volumes by using a marching cubes approach, but mapping of roots as continuous structures requires high inline sampling and line density (<5 cm). The results demonstrate that 3‐D GPR is viable approach for estimating belowground carbon and for mapping tree root architecture. This methodology can be applied more broadly in other disciplines (e.g., archaeology and civil engineering) for imaging buried structures. Key Points Roots as small as 1.4 cm diameter are detected with GPR Large line spacing caused underestimation of root biomass Detection of roots is highly dependent on soil moisture