The role of soil conditions in fine root ecomorphology in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.)

The present study is an attempt to investigate the pattern of morphological variability of the short roots of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) growing in different soils. Five root parameters – diameter, length and dry weight of the root tip, root density (dry weight per water-saturated volume) and specific root area (absorbing area of dry weight unit) were studied with respect to 11 soil characteristics using CANOCO RDA analysis. The investigation was conducted in seven study areas in Estonia differing in site quality class and soil type. Ten root samples per study area were collected randomly from the forest floor and from the 20 cm soil surface layer. Eleven soil parameters were included in the study: humus content, specific soil surface area, field capacity, soil bulk density, pH (KCl and H₂O dilution's), N and Ca concentrations, Ca/Al and C/N ratios, and the decomposition rate of fine roots (<2 mm dia.). Root morphological characteristics most strongly related to the measured soil characteristics in the different sites were specific root area, root density and diameter of the short roots, the means varying from 29 to 42 m² kg⁻¹, from 310 to 540 kg m⁻³ and from 0.26 to 0.32 mm, respectively; root density being most sensitive. The most favourable site and soil types resulting in fine roots with morphological characteristics for optimizing nutrient uptake (e.g. low short root density and high specific root area) were Umbric Luvisol (Oxalis), Dystric Gleysol (Oxalis) and Gleyic Luvisol (Hepatica). These soil types correspond to highly productive natural forest stands of Norway spruce in Estonia. All measured soil variables explained 28% of total variance of the root characteristics. The most important variables related to root morphology were the humus content, field capacity and specific soil surface area. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Holocene spread of Picea abies (L.) Karst. in Fennoscandia and adjacent areas

Aim The Holocene spread of Picea abies in Fennoscandia is well established from many sites and thus provides an opportunity for detailed study of the dynamics of tree spread and population expansion. Early‐ and mid‐Holocene macrofossil evidence for presence of P. abies in Fennoscandia has questioned traditional interpretations of the timing and direction of its spread. This paper aims to determine when, from where and by which pathways P. abies spread into Fennoscandia. Understanding the character and dynamics of this spread may give insight into the general understanding of Holocene tree spread. Location The north‐western distribution of P. abies in Europe, including Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, north‐western Russia, parts of Byelorussia and Poland. Methods Holocene pollen diagrams with independent dating control were collected from this region. The timing of the onset of the continuous curve, the timing of the rise of the curve, the first appearance of frequencies of 1%, 3%, 5%, and 10%, as well as timing and the maximum amount of P. abies pollen, was obtained from these pollen diagrams. A GIS analysis was used to display the data and interpolate ages over the area under investigation. Results Maps are presented showing a clear ESE to WNW trend in the spread of P. abies for all characters interpolated. The timing of the rise of the curve was difficult to use as sites east of the Baltic have slowly rising P. abies frequencies while the western sites often show a rapid rise. Main conclusions The spread of P. abies in Fennoscandia and adjacent areas can be separated into two phases: (i) A rapid early Holocene spread out of Byelorussia and northern Russia at low population density giving rise to small outpost populations, possibly as far west as the Scandes Mountains. (ii) A mid‐ to late Holocene front‐like spread at high population densities moving from east to west into the Baltic Republics and Finland, into northern Scandinavia and then moving south and west towards its present‐day distributional limits.     

Bacterial endophytes from seeds of Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst)

Endophytic bacteria from wooden plants and especially seed-associated endophytes are not well studied. Fresh seeds collected from four Norway spruce trees (Picea abies) from different locations in the Slovene subalpine region were surface-sterilised and dissected into a seed coat, embryo and endosperm. The presence of endophytes was detected by culturing methods and by direct amplification of the eubacterial 16S rDNA gene. Both approaches identified bacteria from genera Pseudomonas and Rahnella in the Norway spruce seeds. Both are known plant-associated bacteria with growth-promoting properties and biological control potential. We suggest that plant seeds could serve as a vector for transmission of beneficial bacteria.     

Performance of two Picea abies (L.) Karst. stands at different stages of decline

Summary This is the first in a series of papers on the growth, photosynthetic rate, water and nutrient relations, root distribution and mycorrhizal frequency of two Norway spruce forests at different stages of decline. One of the stands was composed of green trees only while the other included trees ranging in appearance from full green crowns to thin crowns with yellow needles. In this paper we compare the growth and carbohydrate relations of the two stands and examine relationships among growth variables in ten plots. The declining stand produced 65 percent of the wood per ground area compared with the stand in which all trees were green because its foliage produced less wood at any level of leaf area index. The difference in foliage efficiency between the sites could not be explained by differeneces in climate, competition or stand structure. The declining stand appeared to have lower carbon gain as indicated by a smaller increase in reserve carbohydrates before bud break, and weaker sinks for carbohydrates as indicated by less use of the stored carbohydrates than the healthy stand. Thus, growth reduction was probably related to factors which affect both photosynthesis and, even more, the sinks for carbohydrate.     

Interaction between atmospheric and pedospheric nitrogen nutrition in spruce (Picea abies L. Karst) seedlings

The effect of NO₂ fumigation on root N uptake and metabolism was investigated in 3-month-old spruce (Picea abics L. Karst) seedlings. In a first experiment, the contribution of NO₂ to the plant N budget was measured during a 48 h fumigation with 100mm³m^?3 NO₂. Plants were pre-treated with various nutrient solutions containing NO₂ and NH₄⁺, NO₃^? only or no nitrogen source for 1 week prior to the beginning of fumigation. Absence of NH₄⁺ in the solution for 6d led to an increased capacity for NO₃^? uptake, whereas the absence of both ions caused a decrease in the plant N concentration, with no change in NO₃^? uptake. In fumigated plants, NO₂ uptake accounted for 20–40% of NO₃^? uptake. Root NO₃^? uptake in plants supplied with NH₄⁺plus NO₃^? solutions was decreased by NO₂ fumigation, whereas it was not significantly altered in the other treatments. In a second experiment, spruce seedlings were grown on a solution containing both NO₂ and NH₄⁺ and were fumigated or not with 100mm³m^?3 NO₂ for 7 weeks. Fumigated plants accumulated less dry matter, especially in the roots. Fluxes of the two N species were estimated from their accumulations in shoots and roots, xylem exudate analysis and ¹⁵N labelling. Root NH₄⁺ uptake was approximately three times higher than NO₃^? uptake. Nitrogen dioxide uptake represented 10–15% of the total N budget of the plants. In control plants, N assimilation occurred mainly in the roots and organic nitrogen was the main form of N transported to the shoot. Phloem transport of organic nitrogen accounted for 17% of its xylem transport. In fumigated plants, neither NO₃^? nor NH₄⁺ accumulated in the shoot, showing that all the absorbed NO₂ was assimilated. Root NO₃^? reduction was reduced whereas organic nitrogen transport in the phloem increased by a factor of 3 in NO₂-fimugated as compared with control plants. The significance of the results for the regulation of whole-plant N utilization is discussed.     

The effects of aluminium and Paxillus involutus Fr. on the growth of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.]

Norway spruce [ Picea aides (L.) Karst.] seed lots were obtained from populations growing on an acid soil in the Black Forest, West Germany (acid), and a calcareous soil in the Schwabische Alb, West Germany (calc). Seedlings were grown in sterile perlite culture containing 0–6 mM aluminium. Hypocotyl extension was inhibited by aluminium in the calcareous seedlings, hut not in the acidic seedlings. In a longer term experiment acidic and calcareous plants were grown for 10 weeks in perlite. Some of the tubes were inoculated with the fungus Paxillus involutus Fr. (designated F +) and some were not (F -). Aluminium sulphate solutions were then added to the tubes to raise the aluminium concentrations to 0–6 mM. Plants were harvested after a further 10 weeks. Fungus was associated with the roots in F+ plants, but mycorrhizas did not form. Growth of acid(F -) was somewhat stimulated by aluminium treatment, but that of calc(F -) was greatly reduced, and the plants were chlorotic. The presence of a rhizospherie fungus (F +) enhanced the growth of the calcareous plants, but had little effect on the acidic plants. Shoot analyses suggested that the greater aluminium sensitivity of the calcareous plants involves an inability to exclude aluminium or to maintain normal levels of calcium and magnesium uptake in its presence. The presence of rhizospheric fungi reduced the effects of aluminium.     

Development of EST-PCR markers and monitoring their intrapopulational genetic variation in Picea abies (L.) Karst.

Fifteen cDNA sequences are reported for the European coniferous forest tree species Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.], including the results of similarity searches in public electronic databases. The sequences were subsequently employed for the design of specific primer pairs and PCR-based amplification of genomic fragments. For seven primer pairs, polymorphic EST-PCR markers were identified among 18 trees. Their mode of inheritance was verified by analysing single-tree offspring and studying segregation among haploid endosperms in comparison to diploid tissue. Codominant inheritance was indicated for six markers, while one marker was apparently dominant. Variation of the six codominant EST markers was tested by genotyping 110 randomly selected trees in a Bavarian Norway spruce population. For comparison, the same trees were genotyped at 18 enzyme coding gene loci. There were 3.33 alleles per locus for EST markers and 3.00 for isoenzyme gene markers. In general, a trend to more even frequency distributions and larger intrapopulational variation, including observed heterozygosities, was indicated more for EST markers than for isoenzyme gene markers. The benefits of these newly developed EST-PCR markers are outlined with respect to population genetics and ecological genetics. Received: 29 April 2000 / Accepted: 25 August 2000     

Influence of liming and acidification on the activity of the mycorrhizal communities in a Picea abies (L.) Karst. stand

A study of mycorrhizal activity was conducted in a mature Norway spruce ((Picea abies) [L.] Karst.) stand subjected to soil treatments of liming and acidification for six years (Höglwald research project). Samples were collected five times during one growing season using a soil corer. All the turgescent, not shriveled mycorrhizal tips were sorted out and identified on the fungal species level as far as yet possible. The proportion of each mycorrhizal type on the plots was calculated. The results revealed a shift in the mycorrhizal communities caused by both acid rain and liming. Data are in agreement with the findings of the more comprehensive study on the mycorrhizal communities carried out by another research group on the same plots (Taylor et al., submitted)The activity of the predominant types of mycorrhizas, Piceirhiza gelatinosa, Piceirhiza nigra, Russula ochroleuca-P. abies, Tuber puberulum-P. abies, Tylospora sp.-P. abies, Xerocomus badius-P. abies, was investigated by staining hand sectioned tips with FDA and their fluorescence. Different FDA-hydrolysing activities of the mycorrihizal types had been found in a previous-year study on the same plots and were confirmed during the second year. The proportion of the different stages of activity of the mycorrhizal tissues was calculated on the type level and in connection to the soil treatments. X. badius-P. abies and R. ochroleuca-P. abies displayed the most active fungal tissues and proportion increased on the acidic plots while Tuber puberulum-P. abies and Piceirhiza nigra were the most active types and occurred in higher proportion after liming. Thus, the overall activities of the mycorrhizas were only slightly changed by the treatments. In addition to the mycorrhizal effect acidification reduced while liming enhanced the meristematic activity of the short root tips. The same tendency was found by studying root production on the same plots (Hahn and Marschner, 1998). Although nearly 3000 mycorrhizal tips were studied, the data are still limited, allowing no statistical validation. This is, however, the first investigation connecting overall activity of the mycorrihizal tissues with the proportion of the mycorrhizal types as influenced both by alterations of the forest soil caused by acid rain and liming. The results are interesting and reasonable but further investments are necessary to validate the general conclusions.     

Identification of mitochondrial plasmid-like DNAs in Picea abies (L.) Karst.

The Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) mitochondrial DNA has been extracted from embryonal suspensor masses. In addition to a master chromosome, a family of plasmid-like DNAs were identified. These latter shared cross homologies but had no evident sequence homology with the master chromosome. The occurrence of mitochondrial plasmid-like DNAs was investigated in trees from different provenances. A vast majority of trees displayed extrachromosomal DNA elements of variable stoechiometry. For some trees, the sequences homologous to the extrachromosomal DNA elements were found associated with high molecular weight DNA. Received: 9 July 1997 / Revision received: 29 January 1998 / Accepted: 29 November 1998     

Influence of cultivation method on root grafting in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.)

Root grafting is the process by which a functional union of two or more roots subsequent to their formation is formed. The above- and below-ground parts of three Norway spruce stands (natural stand, Umbric Luvisol; row-culture and group-culture, Planosol; stand ages 40, 43 and 43, respectively) of high site quality (I) were investigated. Stand densities were 1550, 1783 and 1722 stems ha^-1, respectively. In all investigated stands, root grafting was most sensitive to tree spacing. Grafts were observed in case the distance between the trees was 0.7–1.2 m. Grafts occurred always in areas of higher rooting density, in a row of the row-culture and within a tree group in the group-culture. Root grafting was enhanced in case of a narrower humus horizon in the group culture compared with the row-culture, 16.5 and 30 cm, respectively; the humus horizon contained 99% and 95% of conducting roots with d ≥ 5 mm, respectively. Root graftings occurred in 75% of excavated trees in the group-culture, in 37.5% of excavated trees in the row-culture and in 33.3% of excavated trees in the natural stand. Stand age was 24 years in the row-culture and 22 years in the group-culture at the beginning of root grafting. No grafts occurred between two suppressed trees, whereas in 86–100% of all cases, at least one tree was dominant or codominant. In row- and group-cultivated Norway spruce stands, the initial minimum diameter of the grafted root without bark was from 1 to 3 cm in 63% of cases. Grafting of roots with d < 1 cm or d > 10 cm was rare or absent. Root grafting had usually begun at the root age of 10–20 years (46% of cases). This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Image analysis of the stomatal cell walls of Picea abies (L.) Karst. in pure and ozone-enriched air

 The method of image analysis was used to re-investigate previously described structural changes in spruce needles following their exposure to ozone. The changes observed in fumigation experiments were compared with the modifications observed at a site with a similar ozone load. Use was made in each case of needles for which the varying behavioural patterns were known from physiological experiments. In samples with reduced ability to regulate stomatal aperture, the cell walls of the stomatal apparatus showed a reduction in absorptive power at 280 nm. This was interpreted to be a result of delignification of the cell walls in question due to the direct impact of ozone on the surface of the needle. Received: 21 May 1997 / Accepted: 30 June 1997