Differentiation of plant derived organic matter in soil, loess and rhizoliths based on n-alkane molecular proxies

Organic matter (OM) in loess-paleosol sequences is used for paleoenvironmental reconstructions, based e.g. on stable carbon isotope composition. Loess OM (LOM) is assumed to derive from synsedimentary vegetation, i.e. predominantly grass. However, low organic C contents make LOM prone to postsedimentary contamination. It was the aim of this study to reveal (1) whether OM of the loess sequence at Nussloch (SW Germany) was altered by postsedimentary input, (2) to which depth, and (3) from which source vegetation this younger OM derives. Therefore, the alkane composition of LOM was compared to that of potential source OM for postsedimentary contamination: recent soil, vegetation growing on the loess sequence, calcified roots (rhizoliths) which derive from postsedimentary deep-rooting plants but not from recent vegetation, and loess in direct vicinity of these former roots. Alkane molecular proxies including carbon preference index and average chain length revealed that grass biomass was the source of soil and LOM. The latter was, except for the uppermost 0.6 m of loess, not affected by pedogenic processes. Further, recent vegetation did not contribute to OM within and loess adjacent to rhizoliths, which were formed under native tree and/or shrub vegetation prior to agricultural use. Strongest degradation of LOM and large amounts of microbial derived OM were found in rhizoloess, indicating former rhizosphere processes. Molecular proxies indicate that overprinting of LOM even in loess distant to former roots cannot be excluded. Therefore, paleoenvironmental reconstructions based on loess δ¹³C_org should be regarded with caution.     

Do increased summer precipitation and N deposition alter fine root dynamics in a Mojave Desert ecosystem?

Climate change is expected to impact the amount and distribution of precipitation in the arid southwestern United States. In addition, nitrogen (N) deposition is increasing in these regions due to increased urbanization. Responses of belowground plant activity to increases in soil water content and N have shown inconsistent patterns between biomes. In arid lands, plant productivity is limited by water and N availability so it is expected that changes in these factors will affect fine root dynamics. The objectives of this study were to quantify the effects of increased summer precipitation and N deposition on fine root dynamics in a Mojave Desert ecosystem during a 2‐year field experiment using minirhizotron measurements. Root length density, production, and mortality were measured in field plots in the Mojave Desert receiving three 25 mm summer rain events and/or 40 kg N ha^?1 yr^?1. Increased summer precipitation and N additions did not have an overall significant effect on any of the measured root parameters. However, differences in winter precipitation resulting from interannual variability in rainfall appeared to affect root parameters with root production and turnover increasing following a wet winter most likely due to stimulation of annual grasses. In addition, roots were distributed more deeply in the soil following the wet winter. Root length density was initially higher under canopies compared to canopy interspaces, but converged toward the end of the study. In addition, roots tended to be distributed more deeply into the soil in canopy interspace areas. Results from this study indicated that increased summer precipitation and N deposition in response to climate change and urbanization are not likely to affect fine root dynamics in these Mojave Desert ecosystems, despite studies showing aboveground plant physiological responses to these environmental perturbations. However, changes in the amount and possibly distribution of winter precipitation may affect fine root dynamics.     

Global patterns of root turnover for terrestrial ecosystems

Root turnover is a critical component of ecosystem nutrient dynamics and carbon sequestration and is also an important sink for plant primary productivity. We tested global controls on root turnover across climatic gradients and for plant functional groups by using a database of 190 published studies. Root turnover rates increased exponentially with mean annual temperature for fine roots of grasslands ( r ² = 0.48) and forests ( r ² = 0.17) and for total root biomass in shrublands ( r ² = 0.55). On the basis of the best-fit exponential model, the Q ₁₀ for root turnover was 1.4 for forest small diameter roots (5 mm or less), 1.6 for grassland fine roots, and 1.9 for shrublands. Surprisingly, after accounting for temperature, there was no such global relationship between precipitation and root turnover. The slowest average turnover rates were observed for entire tree root systems (10% annually), followed by 34% for shrubland total roots, 53% for grassland fine roots, 55% for wetland fine roots, and 56% for forest fine roots. Root turnover decreased from tropical to high-latitude systems for all plant functional groups. To test whether global relationships can be used to predict interannual variability in root turnover, we evaluated 14 yr of published root turnover data from a shortgrass steppe site in northeastern Colorado, USA. At this site there was no correlation between interannual variability in mean annual temperature and root turnover. Rather, turnover was positively correlated with the ratio of growing season precipitation and maximum monthly temperature ( r ² = 0.61). We conclude that there are global patterns in rates of root turnover between plant groups and across climatic gradients but that these patterns cannot always be used for the successful prediction of the relationship of root turnover to climate change at a particular site.     

Introducing short roots in a desert perennial: anatomy and spatiotemporal foraging responses to increased precipitation

? The desert flora possesses diverse root architectures that result in fast growth in response to precipitation. We introduce the short root, a previously undescribed second-order root in the aridland chamaephyte Cryptantha flava, and explore fine root production. ? We describe the short root anatomy and associated fine roots, correlate standing fine root crop with soil moisture, and explore the architectural level - the short root, third-order lateral roots, or the whole root system - at which fine roots are induced by watering and the amount of water required. ? We show that short roots are borne at intervals on lateral roots and produce fine roots at their tips; new fine roots are white and have root hairs, while brown and black fine roots are apparently dead; and fine root production is triggered at the level of lateral roots and with relatively low precipitation (≤ 2 cm). ? Short roots are suberized and thus are probably not capable of water uptake themselves, but serve as initiation sites for fine roots that grow rapidly in response to rainfall. Thus, C. flava should be a beneficiary of projected precipitation increases in habitats where rainfall is pulsed.     

Belowground drought response of European beech: fine root biomass and carbon partitioning in 14 mature stands across a precipitation gradient

How tree root systems will respond to increased drought stress, as predicted for parts of Central Europe, is not well understood. According to the optimal partitioning theory, plants should enhance root growth relative to aboveground growth in order to reduce water limitations. We tested this prediction in a transect study with 14 mature forest stands of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) by analysing the response of the fine root system to a large decrease in annual precipitation (970–520 mm yr⁻¹). In 3 years with contrasting precipitation regimes, we investigated leaf area and leaf biomass, fine root biomass and necromass (organic layer and mineral soil to 40 cm) and fine root productivity (ingrowth core approach), and analysed the dependence on precipitation, temperature, soil nutrient availability and stand structure. In contrast to the optimal partitioning theory, fine root biomass decreased by about a third from stands with >950 mm yr⁻¹ to those with <550 mm yr⁻¹, while leaf biomass remained constant, resulting in a significant decrease, and not an increase, in the fine root/leaf biomass ratio towards drier sites. Average fine root diameter decreased towards the drier stands, thereby partly compensating for the loss in root biomass and surface area. Both δ¹³C‐signature of fine root mass and the ingrowth core data indicated a higher fine root turnover in the drier stands. Principal components analyses (PCA) and regression analyses revealed a positive influence of precipitation on the profile total of fine root biomass in the 14 stands and a negative one of temperature and plant‐available soil phosphorus. We hypothesize that summer droughts lead to increased fine root mortality, thereby reducing root biomass, but they also stimulate compensatory fine root production in the drier stands. We conclude that the optimal partitioning theory fails to explain the observed decrease in the fine root/leaf biomass ratio, but is supported by the data if carbon allocation to roots is considered, which would account for enhanced root turnover in drier environments.     

Low-order fine roots of Picea asperata have different physiological mechanisms in response to seasonal freeze and freeze–thaw of soil

• Seasonal soil freezing (F) and freeze–thaw cycles (FTCs) are common natural phenomena in high latitude or altitude areas of the world, and seriously affect plant physiological processes. However, studies on the effect of soil F and FTCs on fine roots are less common, especially in subalpine coniferous forests of western Sichuan, China.
• We set up a controlled experiment in growth chambers to explore the effects of F and FTCs on low-order fine roots of Picea asperata and differential responses of first-order roots and the first three root orders (1st, 2nd and 3rd order roots combined as a unit).
• Soil F and FTCs resulted in serious damage to cell membranes and root vitality of low-order fine roots, accompanied by increased MDA content and O₂·⁻ production. FTCs had a stronger effect than F treatment. In turn, low-order fine roots are the unit that responds to cold stress. These roots had increased unsaturated fatty acid contents, antioxidant enzyme activities, osmolytes and plant hormones contents when acclimation to cold stress. The first-order roots were more sensitive to cold stress than the combined first three root orders for several processes (e.g. antioxidant enzymes, osmolytes and hormones) because of their specific structure and physiological activity.
• This study explains physiological differences in responses of fine roots of different root orders to seasonal soil freezing, which will improve the understanding of fine root heterogeneity and support agriculture and forest management.

     

基于森林调查数据的长白山天然林森林生物量相容性模型

森林生物量估算是进行陆地生态系统碳循环和碳动态分析的基础,但现有估测模型存在着总量与分量不相容的问题.本文以吉林省汪清天然林区为例,提出了基于森林调查的相容性森林生物量模型设计思想,并采用联立方程组为不同森林群落构造了一系列引入林分蓄积因子的相容性生物量模型,得到的预估精度较高.其中,针叶林、阔叶林和针阔混交林群落的森林生物量模型预估精度均在95%以上,基本上解决了森林生物量模型的相容性问题.     

Size and Structure of Fine Root Systems in Old-growth and Secondary Tropical Montane Forests (Costa Rica)

The fine root systems of three tropical montane forests differing in age and history were investigated in the Cordillera Talamanca, Costa Rica. We analyzed abundance, vertical distribution, and morphology of fine roots in an early successional forest (10–15 years old, ESF), a mid‐successional forest (40 years old, MSP), and a nearby undisturbed old‐growth forest (OGF), and related the root data to soil morphological and chemical parameters. The OGF stand contained a 19 cm deep organic layer on the forest floor (i.e., 530 mol C/m²), which was two and five times thicker than that of the MSF (10 cm) and ESF stands (4 cm), respectively. There was a corresponding decrease in fine root biomass in this horizon from 1128 g dry matter/m² in the old‐growth forest to 337 (MSF) and 31 g/m² (ESF) in the secondary forests, although the stands had similar leaf areas. The organic layer was a preferred substrate for fine root growth in the old‐growth forest as indicated by more than four times higher fine root densities (root mass per soil volume) than in the mineral topsoil (0–10 cm); in the two secondary forests, root densities in the organic layer were equal to or lower than in the mineral soil. Specific fine root surface areas and specific root tip abundance (tips per unit root dry mass) were significantly greater in the roots of the ESF than the MSF and OGF stands. Most roots of the ESF trees (8 abundant species) were infected by VA mycorrhizal fungi; ectomycorrhizal species (Quercus copeyemis and Q. costaricensis) were dominant in the MSF and OGF stands. Replacement of tropical montane oak forest by secondary forest in Costa Rica has resulted in (1) a large reduction of tree fine root biomass; (2) a substantial decrease in depth of the organic layer (and thus in preferred rooting space); and (3) a great loss of soil carbon and nutrients. Whether old–growth Quercus forests maintain a very high fine root biomass because their ectomycorrhizal rootlets are less effective in nutrient absorption than those of VA mycorrhizal secondary forests, or if their nutrient demand is much higher than that of secondary forests (despite a similar leaf area and leaf mass production), remains unclear.     

Fine Root Biomass,Production, Turnover Rates,and Nutrient Contents in Boreal Forest Ecosystems in Relation to Species,Climate, Fertility,and Stand Age: Literature Review and Meta-Analyses

Fine roots <2 mm in diameter play a key role in regulating the biogeochemical cycles of ecosystems and are important to our understanding of ecosystem responses to global climate changes. Given the sensitivity of fine roots, especially in boreal region, to climate changes, it is important to assess whether and to what extent fine roots in this region change with climates. Here, in this synthesis, a data set of 218 root studies were complied to examine fine root patterns in the boreal forest in relation to site and climatic factors. The mean fine root biomass in the boreal forest was 5.28 Mg ha^?1, and the production of fine roots was 2.82 Mg ha^?1 yr^?1, accounting for 32% of annual net primary production of the boreal forest. Fine roots in the boreal forest on average turned over 1.07 times per year. Fine roots contained 50.9 kg ha^?1 of nitrogen (N) and 3.63 kg ha^?1 of phosphorous (P). In total, fine roots in the boreal forest ecosystems contain 6.1 × 10⁷ Mg N and 4.4×10⁶Mg P pools, respectively, about 10% of the global nutrients of fine roots. Fine root biomass, production, and turnover rate generally increased with increasing mean annual temperature and precipitation. Fine root biomass in the boreal forest decreased significantly with soil N and P availability. With increasing stand age, fine root biomass increased until about 100 years old for forest stands and then leveled off or decreased thereafter. These results of meta analysis suggest that environmental factors strongly influence fine root biomass, production, and turnover in boreal forest, and future studies should place a particular emphasis on the root-environment relationships.     

Changes in fine root biomass of Picea abies forests: predicting the potential impacts of climate change

Aims The impact of global warming on belowground processes, especially on fine root production, is poorly understood in comparison with its aboveground counterpart.Methods Here, we compiled 227 measurements to assess the influence of temperature and precipitation on fine root biomass of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst) forest ecosystems in the Eurasia boreal region.Important findings We found that fine root biomass decreased significantly with latitudes. There was a biomass increase of 0.63 Mg ha^-1 and 0.32 Mg ha^-1 for fine roots <2 and <1 mm in diameter, respectively, with 1°C increase of mean annual temperature. There was an increase of 0.5 and 0.1 Mg ha^-1 per 100 mm year^-1 precipitation for the two size classes of fine roots. If the adaption of root production can match the pace of global warming and water is not a limiting factor for plant growth, fine root biomass would be expected to increase by 40–140% in response to the predicted increase in temperature (3–10°C) over the next century. Our analyses highlighted the strongly positive influences of temperature and precipitation on belowground function, suggesting that predicted future climate change could substantially enhance belowground biomass in the boreal region where the greatest warming is anticipated. This potential increase of belowground biomass, coupled with aboveground biomass, may provide a better understanding of climate–ecosystem feedbacks.     

长白山白桦山杨次生林细根形态特征和解剖结构对氮沉降的响应

根系作为植物与土壤物质交换和养分循环的桥梁,长期以来一直是生态学研究的热点。于2017年7月植物生长季,对长白山模拟11年氮(N)沉降控制试验样地的白桦(Betula platyphylla)山杨(Populus davidiana)天然次生林进行了根系采样,并利用根序法研究了根系形态特征和解剖结构对不同梯度N添加处理的响应,旨在探求两物种根系之间潜在生态联系。本试验共设置了三个N添加梯度,分别为对照(CK,0 g N m~(-2 )a~(-1))、低N处理(T_L,2.5 g N m~(-2 )a~(-1))和高N处理(T_H,5.0 g N m~(-2 )a~(-1))。研究结果如下:1)T_L显著抑制白桦和山杨前三级细根皮层厚度的生长。白桦通过增加皮层细胞直径(一级根增加了72.77%,二级根增加了53.22%,三级根增加了39.96%)但减少皮层层数来降低皮层厚度,而山杨主要通过皮层细胞直径的减少(一级根下降了40.80%,二级根下降了28.17%)来降低其皮层厚度。2)T_H显著抑制山杨前三级细根生长。主要通过增加皮层厚度(一级根增加了68.78%,二级根增加了50.81%,三级根增加了88.53%)以及降低导管横截面积来抑制吸收养分,从而达到影响生长的目的。3)白桦T_H相比于T_L细根直径呈抑制生长状态。其主要通过抑制中柱直径(一级根下降了17.61%,二级根下降了16.89%,三级根下降了20.62%)的生长来实现。以上结果表明,在同一立地条件下,白桦和山杨的细根对不同浓度N沉降的响应方式不同。     

Dynamics of heterorhizic root systems: protoxylem groups within the fine-root system of Chamaecyparis obtusa

To understand the physiology of fine-root functions in relation to soil organic sources, the heterogeneity of individual root functions within a fine-root system requires investigation. Here the heterogeneous dynamics within fine-root systems are reported. The fine roots of Chamaecyparis obtusa were sampled using a sequential ingrowth core method over 2 yr. After color categorization, roots were classified into protoxylem groups from anatomical observations. The root lengths with diarch and triarch groups fluctuated seasonally, whereas the tetrarch root length increased. The percentage of secondary root mortality to total mortality increased with increasing amounts of protoxylem. The carbon : nitrogen ratio indicated that the decomposability of primary roots might be greater than that of secondary roots. The position of diarch roots was mostly apical, whereas tetrarch roots tended to be distributed in basal positions within the root architecture. We demonstrate the heterogeneous dynamics within a fine-root system of C. obtusa. Fine-root heterogeneity should affect soil C dynamics. This heterogeneity is determined by the branching position within the root architecture.     

The dependence of root system properties on root system biomass of 10 North American grassland species

Dependence of the properties of root systems on the size of the root system may alter conclusions about differences in plant growth in different environments and among species. To determine whether important root system properties changed as root systems aged and accumulated biomass, we measured three important properties of fine roots (tissue density, diameter, and C:N) and three biomass ratios (root:shoot, fine:coarse, and shallow:deep) of monocultures of 10 North American grassland species five times during their second and third years of growth. With increasing belowground biomass, root tissue density increased and diameter decreased. This may reflect cortical loss associated with the aging of roots. For non-legumes, fine root C:N decreased with increasing root biomass, associated with decreases in soil solution NO^{3 –} concentrations. No changes in fine root C:N were detected with increasing belowground biomass for the two legumes we studied. Among all 10 species, there were generally no changes in the relative amounts of biomass in coarse and fine roots, root:shoot, or the depth placement of fine roots in the soil profile as belowground biomass increased. Though further research is needed to separate the influence of root system size, age of the roots, and changes in nutrient availability, these factors will need to be considered when comparing root functional traits among species and treatments.     

Soil freezing alters fine root dynamics in a northern hardwood forest

The retention of nutrients within an ecosystem depends on temporal andspatial synchrony between nutrient availability and nutrient uptake, anddisruption of fine root processes can have dramatic impacts on nutrientretention within forest ecosystems. There is increasing evidence thatoverwinter climate can influence biogeochemical cycling belowground,perhaps by disrupting this synchrony. In this study, we experimentallyreduced snow accumulation in northern hardwood forest plots to examinethe effects of soil freezing on the dynamics of fine roots (< 1 mm diameter)measured using minirhizotrons. Snow removal treatment during therelatively mild winters of 1997–1998 and 1998–1999 induced mild freezingtemperatures (to –4 °C) lasting approximately three months atshallow soil depths (to –30 cm) in sugar maple and yellow birch stands.This treatment resulted in elevated overwinter fine root mortality in treatedcompared to reference plots of both species, and led to an earlier peak infine root production during the subsequent growing season. These shiftsin fine root dynamics increased fine root turnover but were not largeenough to significantly alter fine root biomass. No differences inmorality response were found between species. Laboratory tests on pottedtree seedlings exposed to controlled freezing regimes confirmed that mildfreezing temperatures (to –5 °C) were insufficient to directlyinjure winter-hardened fine roots of these species, suggesting that themarked response recorded in our forest plots was caused indirectly bymechanical damage to roots in frozen soil. Elevated fine root necromass intreated plots decomposed quickly, and may have contributed an excess fluxof about 0.5 g N/m²·yr, which is substantial relative tomeasurements of N fluxes from these plots. Our results suggest elevatedoverwinter mortality temporarily reduced fine root length in treatmentplots and reduced plant uptake, thereby disrupting the temporalsynchrony between nutrient availability and uptake and enhancing ratesof nitrification. Increased frequency of soil freezing events, as may occurwith global change, could alter fine root dynamics within the northernhardwood forest disrupting the normally tight coupling between nutrientmineralization and uptake.     

柠条人工林细根不同分枝根序寿命估计

植物细根在发育结构上表现的形态特征和生理功能异质性影响细根寿命的准确估计,因此了解分枝根序细根寿命差异对于深入认识细根的周转过程和陆地生态系统碳分配具有重要意义。采用微根管(Minirhizotron)技术对晋西北黄土区的五年生柠条(Caragana Korshinskii Kom.)人工林细根的生长过程进行了为期3a(2007—2009年)的追踪观测,分析了不同因素(土层深度、季节变化、空间位置)对一级根和高级根寿命的影响。结果表明:(1)在各土层深度处,一级根的中值寿命均低于高级根中值寿命,其中一级根中值寿命表现随土层深度增加而增加趋势,而高级根除表层0—20 cm中值寿命较短外,各土层间变化趋势不明显,40—60 cm、80—100 cm土层高级根在观测期结束时其累积存活率仍在50%以上;(2)不同季节出生一级根和高级根的中值寿命季节性表现为:秋季夏季春季,并且在各个季节均表现,高级根寿命显著大于一级根寿命(P0.01);一级根仅夏季与秋季差异性不显著(P0.05),而高级根仅春季与秋季存在极显著差异(P0.01);(3)一级根和高级根距树干基部0 cm处细根中值寿命均大于50 cm处一级根和高级根细根的中值寿命。同一位置处高级根寿命要大于一级根寿命。在距树干基部0 cm处和50 cm处,一级根和高级根的寿命均存在极显著差异(P0.01),但高级根却在距树干基部0 cm和50 cm处差异不明显,而一级根却表现极显著差异(P0.01)。     

西沙群岛石岛根管石丛的形成分析*

根管石是高等植物的化石, 它不仅能证实古土壤的存在, 还是古植被重建、古气候反演和沉积环境重建的良好载体。根管石在中国南海西沙群岛石岛东西海岸的潮上带广泛发育, 而在南海其他岛屿鲜有报道。石岛的绝大部分根管石在岩壁及古土壤层中独立分布, 此外还发育了裸露的根管石丛, 形态保存相对完好。本文运用X-射线断层扫描成像技术(Micro-CT)针对石岛根管石丛进行三维可视化分析, 获取其精细的形态特征, 结合植物生态学特性和根管石丛的微观结构, 探讨了西沙群岛石岛根管石丛的形成, 以此为海岸带环境下根管石的形成机制和沉积环境重建提供科学依据。结果表明: X-射线断层扫描得到的石岛根管石丛宏观三维形貌更加直观地展示三层环带状构造。结合岩石薄片, 推测石岛根管石丛内带和中带皆由植物自身交代形成, 而外带则为珊瑚砂固结成岩。植被的形态特征和生态适应性表明石岛根管石丛由茎干形成, 建议使用“根茎石”这一术语更为贴切。同时, 初步推测其原生植被是分布于石岛的优势种草海桐。     

黄柳不同级序根的解剖结构及其细根的研究

采用石蜡切片法和徒手切片法对3年生黄柳不同级序的根进行解剖结构研究,并结合直径和根序对其细根进行定义,为沙生植物细根及其碳分配等相关研究提供依据。结果表明:(1)黄柳1、2级根为初生根,4、5级根为次生根,3级根为过渡型根。(2)黄柳根的初生木质部为三原型或四原型。(3)黄柳不同级序根的形态与解剖结构存在显著差异,随着根序的增加,根直径与维管柱直径逐渐增大;低级根直径主要影响因素为维管柱直径、皮层薄壁细胞直径和皮层层数;高级根直径主要影响因素为维管柱直径。(4)定义黄柳的细根为前3级根中未形成连续木栓层且直径小于0.7mm的根。该研究明确了黄柳不同级序根的解剖结构特征,并界定了黄柳细根的范围,其研究方法对于精确估计细根在生态系统中的作用具有重要的意义。     

湖南会同5个亚热带树种的细根构型及功能特征分析

细根(直径2mm)具有复杂的分枝系统,不同树种间的细根在空间分布、形态和大小上有较大差异,研究不同树种的细根构型及不同根序的养分特征,对认识不同树种的细根形态和化学成分的变异格局,及其对树种地下生态位分离(niche segregation)、共存和森林生态系统功能过程的影响有着重要意义。在湖南会同林区选择青冈(Cyclobalanopsis glauca)、枫香(Liquidanbar formosana)、拟赤杨(Alniphyllum fortunei)、杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolata)、马尾松(Pinus massoniana)等5个亚热带树种,用挖掘法采集完整的细根根系,按照Pregitzer细根分级方法对细根分级,用Win-RHIZO根系测定系统对细根构型的参数进行测定,同时测定各级根系的C、N含量,以探讨各树种各级细根的功能特征,揭示不同树种细根构型与养分策略之间的关系。结果表明:5个亚热带树种细根1级根比根长、比表面积最高,直径最细;3级根比根长、比表面积最低,直径最粗。不同树种之间细根形态特征和构型也表现出差异性:枫香的1级根序比根长最大,为31.45m·g-1,杉木的最小,为16.34m·g-1,枫香和杉木之间差异显著。马尾松的1、2级根序的比表面积最大,杉木的1级根序的比表面积最小,青冈2级根序的比表面积最小,3级根序比表面积杉木最大,青冈最小。不同树种之间的细根直径差异达到极显著水平,各根序的平均直径以杉木的最大,拟赤杨的最小。5个树种细根根尖密度大小顺序为马尾松青冈枫香杉木拟赤杨,各树种细根分叉数以拟赤杨和马尾松的较高,杉木最低。除杉木和枫香外,5个树种细根C含量均呈现出随着根序上升而增加的趋势,C/N比也随根序的上升而增加,而细根N含量呈现出随着根序上升而明显下降的趋势。细根平均C含量以杉木的最高,拟赤杨的最低,马尾松、青冈与枫香之间的差异不显著。细根平均N含量以拟赤杨的最高,马尾松的最低。C/N比以马尾松的最高,拟赤杨的最低。5个树种中,马尾松的外生菌根有很强的拓展能力,因此能显著地增强植物根系的养分、水分吸收能力,即使在贫瘠和干旱的土壤环境中,也能有效地利用有限的养分和水分,促进个体生长。而杉木细根吸收养分和水分的效率及能力最小。     

帽儿山温带落叶阔叶林细根生物量、生产力和周转率

细根在森林生态系统能量流动与物质循环中占有重要地位,但其生物量、生产和周转测定尚存在很大的不确定性,而且局域尺度空间变异机制尚不清楚。本研究分析了帽儿山温带天然次生林活细根生物量和死细根生物量在0～100 cm剖面的垂直分布与0～20 cm细根的季节动态、生产力和周转率,对比了采用连续根钻法(包括决策矩阵法和极差法)和内生长袋(直径3和5 cm)估测细根生产力和细根周转率,并探讨了可能影响细根的林分因子。结果表明: 76.8%的活细根生物量和62.9%的死细根生物量均集中在0～20 cm土层,随着深度增加,二者均呈指数形式减少。活细根生物量和死细根生物量的季节变化不显著,可能与冬季几乎无降雪而夏季降雨异常多有关。2种直径内生长袋估计的细根生产力无显著差异;对数转换后决策矩阵、极差法和内生长法估计的细根生产力和细根周转率差异显著。随着土壤养分增加,活细根生物量和死细根生物量比值显著增加,死细根生物量显著减少,但活细根生物量、细根生产力和细根周转率均无显著变化;细根周转率与前一年地上木质生物量增长量呈显著正相关,但与当年地上木质生物量增长量无显著相关关系。