In the master thesis, we tested the suitability of using GPR to determine the dimension
of the olive tree root system by measuring the water in the soil as an indicator of the root
location. The root location was determined indirectly by measuring the water in the soil
using a non-invasive geophysical, GPR method, with the additional aid of 2D resistivity
tomography (ERT) and the low-frequency CMD-GPR method. The images were
compared with the actual location of the roots obtained by the invasive method,
excavation. Root position was studied at seven soil depth intervals within a 7 x 7 m
quadrant grid. At the time of excavation, we documented the terrain and the olive tree
phase by phase using a drone and constructed the captured point cloud into a 3D model
within CloudCompare. Using the CC software tool, we measured the basic parameters
of the tree in the underground and above-ground parts. The work aimed to verify the
applicability of the geophysical method and the low-frequency electromagnetic method
for water detection as an indicator of the presence of living roots and to determine the
dimension of the root system. The measurements were carried out with two radar
antennas of 400 and 900 MHz, only the results of the latter were used for better
resolution. In addition to the GPR methods, an ERT method was also carried out to
complement the survey. The GPR method proved to be insufficiently accurate for the
detection of root morphology and architecture, but a good tool for understanding the
distribution of soil water. In further research, the antenna strength should be adjusted
and the GPR method should be carried out in drier conditions to show more clearly the
differences between soil moisture and moisture as a result of the presence of living roots.
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