The Impact of Soil Temperature on Miscanthus (Elephant) Plant: A Case study of Compton Experimental Site, West Midlands, UK

The study explored the response of Miscanthus (elephant) plant to soil temperature at Compton, based on the statistical analysis of the database of (12, 045) days of individual soil temperature measurement in sandy-loam of the salwick series soils. Soil temperature at Compton research site significantly increased between 1975-2008 at a rate of ~0.10C year - 1. However, the rate of increase in the mean annual soil temperature notably affect the growth and survival of Miscanthus (elephant) plant, this was due to the fact that the plant display structural dormancy behavior which is generally attributed to warming effect. Warming was found to exert a very severe problem to the plant. Similarly, it was found that the reaction of this plant to increase in soil temperature was clearly detected. It has been observed that changes of significant proportion in the morphology of the plant was evident. The changes include in active appearance and stunted growth during the early stage of it development while withering, yellowing discolouration and falling of leaves was apparent during the maturity stage. The study concludes that all these changes appeared to be essentially associated with increase in soil temperature.