Rhizosphere Image Gallery

Eucalyptus sp.

Click on images to enlarge. To download jpegs, save the enlarged image to your computer.

WARNING: The bitmap (BMP) images are over 1 megabyte per image! Full-sized jpegs are usually only about 40 kilobytes. We recommend downloading jpegs unless you require the highest image quality.

SCALE: Unless otherwise noted, these images are two centimeters wide and just under one and a half centimeters tall. To estimate the dimensions of zoom images, compare to their corresponding wide-angle shot. A fully-zoomed image can represent an area of the soil a mere three millimeters wide and two millimeters tall!


return to rhizosphere images home page

view images by plant species

view images by image content

The scene aboveground

Site: UCSC Arboretum

Eucalyptus sp. is an evergreen tree that originates in Australia, but has been introduced throughout the world for timber, medicinal and fuel oils, for windbreaks, and for ornamental purposes. While Eucalyptus coexists with other species in mixed evergreen forests in Australia, this tree tends to be invasive when introduced elsewhere, often effectively inhibiting growth and/or establishment of competing species. This tree can tap deep water sources, so the overall density of roots at the surface is low compared to other plants in this study.

The scene belowground

Young white fleshy root

Zoom in on above root; note the lack of root hairs and branching.

Severed young root.

Invertebrate foraging on root.

Zoom in on above.

Notice the cloudy smear on the tube. It appears to be evidence of actinomycete or bacterial activity.

Our buried tubes do alter the ecosystem! Water is channeled down the impermeable walls of the tube. This root is taking advantage of the extra water.

A closer look at the above image.

A thick hairy root overlaid with branched young root. Notice the grub at lower left.

Partial zoom on the above root crossover.

Zoom in on branched root. Notice the fine threadlike lines.

2-branched young root.

Excellent zoom on young root with a clear image of root hairs.

Extensive root branching.