Response of Fine Roots to Fertilized Ingrowth Cores in Burned and Harvested Black Spruce Ecosystems

2005 ◽  
Vol 36 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 1361-1372 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Ken Smith ◽  
Marie R. Coyea ◽  
Alison D. Munson
Keyword(s):  
Fine Roots ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Ingrowth Cores

Fine root biomass and nutrient content in a black spruce peat soil with and without alder

1998 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Bhatti ◽  
N. W. Foster ◽  
P. W. Hazlett
Keyword(s):  
Fine Roots ◽  
Root Biomass ◽  
Fine Root ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Peat Soil ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Fine Root Biomass ◽  
Boreal Peatlands ◽  
Strong Positive Relationship

Vertical distribution of fine root biomass and nutrient content was examined within a black spruce (Picea mariana) stand growing on a boreal peat soil in northeastern Ontario. The influence of site physical and chemical properties on fine root biomass production was assessed. More then 80% of the fine roots were present in moss plus the top 10 cm of peat where nutrients and aeration are most favourable. The fine root biomass (W/V) was significantly higher with alder (5.9 kg m−3) (Alnus rugosa) as understory vegetation compared to non-alder locations (2.9 kg m−3). Total nutrient content in fine roots was 54, 3.2, 5.4, 63 and 5.7 kg ha−1 on the alder site and 20, 1.4, 2.3, 28 and 4.2 kg ha−1 of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg on the non-alder site, respectively. The mass (W/V) of nutrients in fine roots was strongly dependent upon the availability of nutrients in the peat. Fine root content had a strong positive relationship with peat available P and exchangeable K contents suggesting that P and K may be limiting nutrients for black spruce in this peat soil. Key words: Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, boreal peatlands, aeration, water table

scholarly journals Fine roots and ectomycorrhizal colonization in black spruce subjected to reductions in soil moisture

Botany ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio Rossi ◽  
Éliane Couture ◽  
Xavier Plante ◽  
Hubert Morin
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Fine Roots ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Root Tips ◽  
Transparent Plastic ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Mature Stands

Growth and survival of boreal tree species depends on fungal symbionts, namely mycorrhizas. Owing to their rapid turnover, fine roots and their symbionts can be prompt and sensitive indicators of the effects of environmental changes on forest ecosystems. We investigated how a reduction in soil moisture influences the fine roots and ectomycorrhizas (ECM) of black spruce [Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP] after 3 years of rain exclusion in four mature stands of the boreal forest of Quebec, Canada. Rain was excluded with transparent plastic under-canopy covers installed during the growing seasons 2010–2012. Soil moisture was strongly affected by the treatment, with water content being reduced from 40% to 21% on average. As expected, the experimental trees showed a decrease in the proportion of vital root tips and ECM with respect to controls. The proportion of vital ECM was also globally reduced from 73.8% to 68.6%, but the effects of the treatment were only significant in two sites. The expected drier conditions due to current warming will likely influence the presence of mycorrhizas, with potential consequences on the root vitality of boreal tree species.

Total belowground carbon and nitrogen partitioning of mature black spruce displaying genetic × soil moisture interaction in growth

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (11) ◽  
pp. 1939-1952 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Major ◽  
Kurt H. Johnsen ◽  
Debby C. Barsi ◽  
Moira Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Fine Roots ◽  
Root Biomass ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Nitrogen Partitioning ◽  
Coarse Roots ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Coarse Root ◽  
C And N

Total belowground biomass, soil C, and N mass were measured in plots of 32-year-old black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.) from four full-sib families studied previously for drought tolerance and differential productivity on a dry and a wet site. Stump root biomass was greater on the wet than on the dry site; however, combined fine and coarse root biomass was greater on the dry than on the wet site, resulting in no site root biomass differences. There were no site differences in root distribution by soil depth. Drought-tolerant families had greater stump root biomass and allocated relatively less to combined coarse and fine roots than drought-intolerant families. Fine roots (<2 mm) made up 10.9% and 50.2% of the belowground C and N biomass. Through 50 cm soil depth, mean total belowground C mass was 187.2 Mg·ha–1, of which 8.9%, 3.4%, 0.7%, and 87.0% were from the stump root, combined fine and coarse roots, necromass, and soil, respectively. Here, we show that belowground C sequestration generally mirrors (mostly from stump roots) aboveground growth, and thus, trends in genetic and genetic × environment productivity effects result in similar effects on belowground C sequestration. Thus, tree improvement may well be an important avenue to help stem increases in atmospheric CO2.

Viability tests for estimating root cold tolerance of black spruce seedlings

1994 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 1039-1048 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francine J. Blgras ◽  
Sophie Calmé
Keyword(s):  
Water Loss ◽  
Tissue Damage ◽  
Electrolyte Leakage ◽  
Fine Roots ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Root Systems ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Freezing Damage ◽  
Reactive Compound ◽  
Freezing Test

After freezing tests, various methods for evaluating root damage were compared and correlated to the regrowth of 16-week-old containerized black spruce seedlings (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) hardened in growth chambers. During the hardening regime, three experiments were performed. The first experiment evaluated the influence on the test results of washing the roots before or after a freezing test and compared the frost sensitivity of fine roots (<0.3 mm), larger roots (>0.3 mm), and whole root systems. The second experiment tested the effect of pressures of 0.05, 0.10, and 0.15 MPa on water loss. Experiment 3 compared four viability tests: electrolyte leakage, ninhydrin reactive compounds leakage, phenolic leakage, and water loss. Results were as follows: (i) washing the roots before or after the freezing test did not affect the results of the ninhydrin reactive compounds test; (ii) fine roots (<0.3 mm) were more sensitive to freezing damage than larger roots (>0.3 mm); (iii) sampling of fine roots (<0.3 mm), larger roots (>0.3 mm), or whole root systems gave different results for the ninhydrin reactive compounds test; (iv) tests of electrolyte leakage, phenolic leakage, and ninhydrin reactive compounds leakage had the ability to indicate tissue damage; (v) high values of these variables were associated with poor seedling regrowth; (vi) root water potential also indicates tissue damage but is less correlated to regrowth than electrolyte leakage, phenolic leakage, and ninhydrin reactive compound leakage; and (vii) the water-loss test seems less reliable than the others.

scholarly journals Estimating Fine Root Production from Ingrowth Cores and Decomposed Roots in a Bornean Tropical Rainforest

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayumi Katayama ◽  
Lip Khoon Kho ◽  
Naoki Makita ◽  
Tomonori Kume ◽  
Kazuho Matsumoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fine Roots ◽  
Tropical Rainforest ◽  
Fine Root ◽  
Differential Method ◽  
Root Production ◽  
Fine Root Production ◽  
Calculation Methods ◽  
Ingrowth Cores ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Using Data

Research highlights: Estimates of fine root production using ingrowth cores are strongly influenced by decomposed roots in the cores during the incubation period and should be accounted for when calculating fine root production (FRP). Background and Objectives: The ingrowth core method is often used to estimate fine root production; however, decomposed roots are often overlooked in estimates of FRP. Uncertainty remains on how long ingrowth cores should be installed and how FRP should be calculated in tropical forests. Here, we aimed to estimate FRP by taking decomposed fine roots into consideration. Specifically, we compared FRP estimates at different sampling intervals and using different calculation methods in a tropical rainforest in Borneo. Materials and Methods: Ingrowth cores were installed with root litter bags and collected after 3, 6, 12 and 24 months. FRP was estimated based on (1) the difference in biomass at different sampling times (differential method) and (2) sampled biomass at just one sampling time (simple method). Results: Using the differential method, FRP was estimated at 447.4 ± 67.4 g m−2 year−1 after 12 months, with decomposed fine roots accounting for 25% of FRP. Using the simple method, FRP was slightly higher than that in the differential method after 12 months (516.3 ± 45.0 g m−2 year−1). FRP estimates for both calculation methods using data obtained in the first half of the year were much higher than those using data after 12-months of installation, because of the rapid increase in fine root biomass and necromass after installation. Conclusions: Therefore, FRP estimates vary with the timing of sampling, calculation method and presence of decomposed roots. Overall, the ratio of net primary production (NPP) of fine roots to total NPP in this study was higher than that previously reported in the Neotropics, indicating high belowground carbon allocation in this forest.

scholarly journals Fine Root Growth of Black Spruce Trees and Understory Plants in a Permafrost Forest Along a North-Facing Slope in Interior Alaska

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyotaro Noguchi ◽  
Yojiro Matsuura ◽  
Tomoaki Morishita ◽  
Jumpei Toriyama ◽  
Yongwon Kim
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Active Layer ◽  
Fine Roots ◽  
Fine Root ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Active Layer Thickness ◽  
Fine Root Growth ◽  
Belowground Carbon ◽  
Understory Shrubs ◽  
Lower Slope

Permafrost forests play an important role in the global carbon budget due to the huge amounts of carbon stored below ground in these ecosystems. Although fine roots are considered to be a major pathway of belowground carbon flux, separate contributions of overstory trees and understory shrubs to fine root dynamics in these forests have not been specifically characterized in relation to permafrost conditions, such as active layer thickness. In this study, we investigated fine root growth and morphology of trees and understory shrubs using ingrowth cores with two types of moss substrates (feather- and Sphagnum mosses) in permafrost black spruce (Picea mariana) stands along a north-facing slope in Interior Alaska, where active layer thickness varied substantially. Aboveground biomass, litterfall production rate, and fine root mass were also examined. Results showed that aboveground biomass, fine root mass, and fine root growth of black spruce trees tended to decrease downslope, whereas those of understory Ericaceae shrubs increased. Belowground allocation (e.g., ratio of fine root growth/leaf litter production) increased downslope in both of black spruce and understory plants. These results suggested that, at a lower slope, belowground resource availability was lower than at upper slope, but higher light availability under open canopy seemed to benefit the growth of the understory shrubs. On the other hand, understory shrubs were more responsive to the moss substrates than black spruce, in which Sphagnum moss substrates increased fine root growth of the shrubs as compared with feather moss substrates, whereas the effect was unclear for black spruce. This is probably due to higher moisture contents in Sphagnum moss substrates, which benefited the growth of small diameter (high specific root length) fine roots of understory shrubs. Hence, the contribution of understory shrubs to fine root growth was greater at lower slope than at upper slope, or in Sphagnum than in feather-moss substrates in our study site. Taken together, our data show that fine roots of Ericaceae shrubs are a key component in belowground carbon flux at permafrost black spruce forests with shallow active layer and/or with Sphagnum dominated forest floor.

scholarly journals Fine root dynamics for forests on contrasting soils in the colombian Amazon

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 3415-3453 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Jiménez ◽  
F. H. Moreno ◽  
J. Lloyd ◽  
M. C. Peñuela ◽  
S. Patiño
Keyword(s):  
Fine Roots ◽  
Net Primary Productivity ◽  
Fine Root ◽  
Carbon Allocation ◽  
Ingrowth Cores ◽  
Soil Resources ◽  
White Sand ◽  
Aboveground Production ◽  
Sand Forest ◽  
Colombian Amazon

Abstract. It has been hypothesized that in a gradient of increase of soil resources carbon allocated to belowground production (fine roots) decreases. To evaluate this hypothesis, we measured the mass and production of fine roots (<2 mm) by two methods: 1) ingrowth cores and, 2) sequential soil coring, during 2.2 years in two lowland forests with different soils in the colombian Amazon. Differences of soil resources were determined by the type and physical and chemical properties of soil: a forest on loamy soil (Ultisol) at the Amacayacu National Natural Park and, the other on white sands (Spodosol) at the Zafire Biological Station, located in the Forest Reservation of the Calderón River. We found that mass and production of fine roots was significantly different between soil depths (0–10 and 10–20 cm) and also between forests. White-sand forest allocated more carbon to fine roots than the clayey forest; the production in white-sand forest was twice (2.98 and 3.33 Mg C ha−1 year−1, method 1 and 2, respectively) as much as in clayey forest (1.51 and 1.36–1.03 Mg C ha−1 year−1, method 1 and 2, respectively); similarly, the average of fine root mass was higher in the white-sand forest (10.94 Mg C ha−1) than in the forest on clay soils (3.04–3.64 Mg C ha−1). The mass of fine roots also showed a temporal variation related to rainfall, such that production of fine roots decreased substantially in the dry period of the year 2005. Our results suggest that soil resources play an important role in patterns of carbon allocation in these forests; carbon allocated to above-and belowground organs is different between forest types, in such a way that a trade-off above/belowground seems to exist; as a result, it is probable that there are not differences in total net primary productivity between these two forests: does belowground offset lower aboveground production in poorer soils?

Fine-root growth in beech (Fagussylvatica) forest gaps

1996 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 2153-2159 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Bauhus ◽  
N. Bartsch
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Fine Roots ◽  
Fine Root ◽  
Beech Forest ◽  
Slow Recovery ◽  
Ingrowth Cores ◽  
Ingrowth Core ◽  
Beech Stand ◽  
Fine Root Growth ◽  
Gap Creation

The purpose of the study was to investigate fine-root growth in gaps created for beech (Fagussylvatica L.) regeneration. Fine-root growth was measured using the ingrowth core technique. Measurements were carried out in gaps 30 m in diameter, which were either untreated or treated with lime, and in a mature beech stand. Ingrowth core experiments showed that growth of beech fine roots in gap centres was negligible during the 2nd and 3rd year after gap creation, indicating that although fine roots from stumps stayed alive long after trees were cut, they did not grow. It also indicated that trees surrounding gaps did not effectively grow fine roots that reached 10 m into the gap centre. At the edge of unlimed gaps (5 m away from the stems), fine-root growth was one-third that of the mature stand. In the stand the amount of live fine roots in ingrowth cores (390 g•m−2) had attained the standing crop level after 16 months. In limed gaps, where herbaceous vegetation had established, herbaceous root growth was 800–970 g•m−2 after 16 months. Neither fine-root growth nor aboveground biomass of herbaceous plants was substantial in untreated gaps. The slow recovery of biomass production in unlimed gaps showed that the resistance of this beech forest to nutrient losses following disturbance is low.

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