Plant‐soil interactions in salt marsh environments: Experimental evidence from electrical resistivity tomography in the Venice Lagoon

Aerated soil layers persist beneath flooded surfaces in salt marshes when plant transpiration rates are sufficiently high, according to the first quantitative observational study of its kind. Researchers used time-lapse microscale electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and tensiometric observations to map space-time soil moisture dynamics in a Venice Lagoon salt marsh, overcoming limitations posed by salinity on traditional measurement techniques. The findings confirm model predictions that transpiration improves soil aeration, with implications for vegetation distribution, topographic features, and the survival of these critical ecosystems—key markers for climate change studies.

Boaga, J., D’Alpaos, A., Cassiani, G., Marani, M., & Putti, M. (2014). Plant‐soil interactions in salt marsh environments: Experimental evidence from electrical resistivity tomography in the Venice Lagoon. Geophysical Research Letters, 41(17), 6160–6166. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014gl060983