Water relations of honey mesquite following severing of lateral roots: influence of location and amount of subsurface water

When less subsurface water was available, Prosopis glandulosa were more dependent on lateral roots to supply water. Treatment effects were minimized by the 2nd growing season following root severing, possibly from new root growth within or below the root barrier region. The lateral root system may play a significant role in regulating leaf water relations on sites with limited subsurface water. -from Authors