Riverbank Rocks and Roots

Provided and copyright by: Kenneth Holm
Summary authors & editors: Kenneth Holm

While searching for fossils along the riverbank shown above, I noticed what seemed to be a reversal of roles. Rocks form the foundation of the earth (mantle) -- pulverized, they help form soil for plants to grow. All sizes in between add to and help stabilize a variety of landscapes. On this picture, it looks as if tree roots are hugging the rocks, saving them from being washed away by high water. The rocks have no say in this it seems, but the very survival of the vegetation is at stake, and thus the roots are desperate to prevent further erosion. Photo taken on the bank of the West Humber River in Toronto, Ontario (Canada), on May 28, 2006.

Related Links:

• Tree Root Systems
• Erosion and Soil Degradation
• Tree Trivia and Myths