A Rhizotron (from , "root" as a verb – see :wikt:rhizo-) is a laboratory constructed underground in order to study the

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...

and its interactions with plants and animals. Rhizotrons are typically equipped with a central corridor with viewing windows into the soil profiles on either side. On the outside, separate bays are constructed to enable specific

experiment An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs whe ...

s to be carried out by varying the soil composition and the plant and animals contained therein. Rhizotrons are in use at

Kew Gardens Kew Gardens is a botanical garden, botanic garden in southwest London that houses the "largest and most diverse botany, botanical and mycology, mycological collections in the world". Founded in 1759, from the exotic garden at Kew Park, its li ...

, at the

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commerc ...

Northern Research Station at

Houghton, Michigan Houghton (; ) is the largest city and county seat of Houghton County, Michigan, Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, Houghton is the largest city in the Copper Country region. It is the fifth-larges ...

,About the Rhizotron
/ref> at Treborth Botanic Garden, near Bangor, Gwynedd, U.K. and at

Charles Sturt University Charles Sturt University is an Australian multi-campus public university located in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Victoria, Australia, Victoria. Established in 1989, it was named in honour of Captain (British Army and Royal ...

, Wagga Wagga, Australia.

References

Soil science {{soil-sci-stub