Root surface/leaf area ratios in arctic dwarf shrubs

Summary Individual shoots of the shrubsLedum palustre L.,Vaccinium uliginosum L., andBetula nana L. were severed from their parent plants beneath the moss surface in an Alaskan tussock tundra. These shoots remained one year in their original position in peat moss cushions without further disturbance. After this period fine root dry weight, fine root surface area, leaf dry weight, and leaf area of these shoots were measured and compared with equivalent values from unsevered control shoots. Dry weight ratios of fine roots/leaves were similar in cut and control shoots, with the exception ofB. nana. The fine root surface/leaf area ratios showed significant differences between control and cut shoots except inL. palustre. Without tedious rootlet extractions it should be possible to estimate fine root surface area from leaf area ofL. palustre.     

Fine root production and nutrient content in wet and moist arctic tundras as influenced by chronic fertilization

We used ingrowth cores to estimate fine root production in organic soils of wet sedge and moist tundra ecosystems near Toolik Lake on Alaska's North Slope. Root-free soil cores contained in nylon mesh tubes (5 cm diameter, 20–30 cm long) were placed in control and chronically fertilized (N plus P) plots in mid-August 1994 and were retrieved 1 year later. Estimated fine root production in control plots was 75 g m^–2 year^–1 in wet sedge and 56 g m^–2 year^–1 in moist tussock tundra. Fine root production in fertilized plots was 85 g m^–2 year^–1 in wet sedge and 67 g m^–2 year^–1 in moist tussock tundra. Although our estimates of fine root production were higher on fertilized than control plots, differences were not statistically significant within either tundra type. Comparisons between our estimates of fine root production and other estimates of aboveground (plus rhizome) production on the same (wet sedge tundra) or similar (moist tussock tundra) plots suggest that fine root production was about one-third of total net primary production (NPP) under non-fertilized conditions and about one-fifth of total NPP under chronic fertilization. Fine root N and P concentrations increased with fertilization in both tundra types, but P concentrations increased more than N concentrations in wet sedge tundra, whereas relative increases in N and P concentrations in moist tundra roots were similar. These data are consistent with other studies suggesting that NPP in wet sedge tundra is often P limited and that co-limitation by N and P is more important in moist tussock tundra.     

Long‐term experimental manipulation of climate alters the ectomycorrhizal community of Betula nana in Arctic tundra

Climate warming is leading to shrub expansion in Arctic tundra. Shrubs form ectomycorrhizal (ECM) associations with soil fungi that are central to ecosystem carbon balance as determinants of plant community structure and as decomposers of soil organic matter. To assess potential climate change impacts on ECM communities, we analysed fungal internal transcribed spacer sequences from ECM root tips of the dominant tundra shrub Betula nana growing in treatments plots that had received long‐term warming by greenhouses and/or fertilization as part of the Arctic Long‐Term Ecological Research experiment at Toolik Lake Alaska, USA. We demonstrate opposing effects of long‐term warming and fertilization treatments on ECM fungal diversity; with warming increasing and fertilization reducing the diversity of ECM communities. We show that warming leads to a significant increase in high biomass fungi with proteolytic capacity, especially Cortinarius spp., and a reduction of fungi with high affinities for labile N, especially Russula spp. In contrast, fertilization treatments led to relatively small changes in the composition of the ECM community, but increased the abundance of saprotrophs. Our data suggest that warming profoundly alters nutrient cycling in tundra, and may facilitate the expansion of B. nana through the formation of mycorrhizal networks of larger size.     

Fine Root Production and Turnover in a Norway Spruce Stand in Northern Sweden: Effects of Nitrogen and Water Manipulation

Fine root length production, biomass production, and turnover in forest floor and mineral soil (0–30 cm) layers were studied in relation to irrigated (I) and irrigated-fertilized (IL) treatments in a Norway spruce stand in northern Sweden over a 2-year period. Fine roots (<1 mm) of both spruce and understory vegetation were studied. Minirhizotrons were used to estimate fine root length production and turnover, and soil cores were used to estimate standing biomass. Turnover was estimated as both the inverse of root longevity (RTL) and the ratio of annual root length production to observed root length (RTR). RTR values of spruce roots in the forest floor in I and IL plots were 0.6 and 0.5 y⁻¹, respectively, whereas the corresponding values for RTL were 0.8 and 0.9 y⁻¹. In mineral soil, corresponding values for I, IL, and control (C) plots were 1.2, 1.2, and 0.9 y⁻¹ (RTR) and 0.9, 1.1, and 1 y⁻¹ (RTL). RTR and RTL values of understory vegetation roots were 1 and 1.1 y⁻¹, respectively. Spruce root length production in both the forest floor and the mineral soil in I plots was higher than in IL plots. The IL-treated plots gave the highest estimates of spruce fine root biomass production in the forest floor, but, for the mineral soil, the estimates obtained for the I plots were the highest. The understory vegetation fine root production in the I and IL plots was similar for both the forest floor and the mineral soil and higher (for both layers) than in C plots. Nitrogen (N) turnover in the forest floor and mineral soil layers (summed) via spruce roots in IL, I, and C plots amounted to 2.4, 2.1, and 1.3 g N m⁻² y⁻¹, and the corresponding values for field vegetation roots were 0.6, 0.5, and 0.3 g N m⁻² y⁻¹. It was concluded that fertilization increases standing root biomass, root production, and N turnover of spruce roots in both the forest floor and mineral soil. Data on understory vegetation roots are required for estimating carbon budgets in model studies.     

Inter-annual variability of NDVI in response to long-term warming and fertilization in wet sedge and tussock tundra

This study explores the relationship between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and aboveground plant biomass for tussock tundra vegetation and compares it to a previously established NDVI–biomass relationship for wet sedge tundra vegetation. In addition, we explore inter-annual variation in NDVI in both these contrasting vegetation communities. All measurements were taken across long-term experimental treatments in wet sedge and tussock tundra communities at the Toolik Lake Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site, in northern Alaska. Over 15 years (for wet sedge tundra) and 14 years (for tussock tundra), N and P were applied in factorial experiments (N, P and N+P), air temperature was increased using greenhouses with and without N+P fertilizer, and light intensity was reduced by 50% using shade cloth. during the peak growing seasons of 2001, 2002, and 2003, NDVI measurements were made in both the wet sedge and tussock tundra experimental treatment plots, creating a 3-year time series of inter-annual variation in NDVI. We found that: (1) across all tussock experimental tundra treatments, NDVI is correlated with aboveground plant biomass (r ²=0.59); (2) NDVI–biomass relationships for tussock and wet sedge tundra communities are community specific, and; (3) NDVI values for tussock tundra communities are typically, but not always, greater than for wet sedge tundra communities across all experimental treatments. We suggest that differences between the response of wet sedge and tussock tundra communities in the same experimental treatments result from the contrasting degree of heterogeneity in species and functional types that characterize each of these Arctic tundra vegetation communities.     

施肥对落叶松和水曲柳人工林土壤呼吸的影响

 以落叶松（Larix gmelinii）和水曲柳（Fraxinus mandshurica）人工林为研究对象,采用动态气室法（LI-6400-09叶室连接到LI-6400便携式CO₂/H₂O分析系统）对两种林分的土壤呼吸速率进行了观测,探讨了细根生物量、根中氮含量与土壤呼吸速率的关系,以及施肥对细根生物量、根中氮含量和土壤呼吸速率的影响。结果表明：1）施肥导致落叶松和水曲柳林分的活细根生物量降低18.4％和27.4％, 死细根生物量分别降低了34.8％和127.4 ％;2）施肥使落叶松和水曲柳林地土壤呼吸速率与对照相比分别减少了34.9％和25.8％;3 ）施肥对根中氮含量没有显著影响;4）落叶松和水曲柳林地的土壤呼吸与土壤温度表现出相同的季节变化,两种林分的土壤呼吸速率与地下5和10 cm处的温度表现出明显的指数关系 ,其相关性R²=0.93～0.98。土壤呼吸温度系数Q₁₀的范围在2.45～3.29。 施肥处理对Q₁₀没有产生影响,施肥处理导致细根生物量减少可能是引起林地土壤呼吸速率下降的主要原因。     

Misting and nitrogen fertilization of shoots of a saltmarsh grass: effects upon fungal decay of leaf blades

We conducted a 12-week field manipulation experiment in which we raised the nitrogen availability (ammonium sulfate fertilization to roots) and/or water potential (freshwater misting) of decaying leaf blades of a saltmarsh grass (smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora) in triplicate 11-m² plots, and compared the manipulated plots to unmanipulated, control plots. The ascomycetous fungi that dominate cordgrass leaf decomposition processes under natural conditions exhibited a boosting (>2-fold) of living standing crop (ergosterol content) by misting at the 1 st week after tagging of senescent leaves, but afterwards, living-fungal standing crop on misted blades was equivalent to that on control blades, confirming prior evidence that Spartina fungi are well adapted to natural, irregular wetting. Misting also caused 2-fold sharper temporal declines than control in instantaneous rates of fungal production (ergosterol synthesis), 5-fold declines in density of sexual reproductive structures that were not shown by controls, and 2-fold higher rates of loss of plant organic mass. Extra nitrogen gave a long-term boost to living-fungal standing crop (about 2-fold at 12 weeks), which was also reflected in rates of fungal production at 4 weeks, suggesting that saltmarsh fungal production is nitrogen-limited. Although bacterial and green-microalgal crops were boosted by manipulations of nitrogen and/or water, their maximal crops remained 0.3 or 2% (bacteria or green microalgae, respectively) of contemporaneous living-fungal crop. The fungal carbon-productivity values obtained, in conjunction with rates of loss of plant carbon, hinted that fungal yield can be high (>50%), and that it is boosted by high availability of nitrogen. We speculate that one partial cause of high fungal yield could be subsidy of fungal growth by dissolved organic carbon from outside decomposing leaves.     

Comparison of Fine Root Dynamics in Scots Pine and Pedunculate Oak in Sandy Soil

In this study, we investigated the relationship between the seasonality of vegetation cover and that of fine root processes in a man-made forest in northern Belgium. Due to their contrasting foliar development, we expected different seasonal patterns of fine root growth and standing biomass between Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.), and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). Biomass and necromass of fine and small roots were estimated by repeated core sampling in February, April, June, August and October 2003. Measurements showed that Pedunculate oaks maintained more live fine roots in winter than Scots pines. However, Scots pines produced more than twice as much fine roots in spring, such that in summer both species had similar root mass. Scots pine root production started before-, but declined during leaf unfolding. Pedunculate oak roots, in contrast, started elongating only after bud break. For both species, fine root production peaked in JuneJuly, but was more than offset by drought-induced mortality at the end of July and early August. Summer drought in 2003 was exceptionally long and intense, significantly reducing leaf area, killing most new roots, and inhibiting root decomposition, such that the obtained results cannot be typical for this forest.     

Belowground responses of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Picea asperata</Emphasis> seedlings to warming and nitrogen fertilization in the eastern Tibetan Plateau

The impacts of global climatic change on belowground ecological processes of terrestrial ecosystems are still not clear. We therefore conducted an experiment in the subalpine coniferous forest ecosystem of the eastern edges of the Tibetan Plateau to study roots of Picea asperata seedlings and rhizosphere soil responses to soil warming and nitrogen availability from April 2007 to December 2008. The seedlings were subjected to two levels of temperature (ambient; infrared heater warming) and two nitrogen levels (0 or 25 g m⁻²year⁻¹ N). We used a free air temperature increase from an overhead infrared heater to raise both air and soil temperature by 2.1 and 2.6°C, respectively. The results showed that warming alone significantly increased total biomass, coarse root biomass and fine root biomass of P. asperata seedlings. Both total biomass and fine root biomass were increased, but coarse root biomass was significantly decreased by nitrogen fertilization and warming combined with nitrogen fertilization. Warming induced a prominent increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) and NO₃ ⁻-N of rhizosphere soil, while nitrogen fertilization significantly decreased SOC and NH₄ ⁺-N of rhizosphere soil. The warming, fertilization and warming × N fertilization interaction decreased soil microbial C significantly, but substantially increased soil microbial N. These results suggest that nitrogen deposition combined with warmer temperatures under future climatic change possibly will have no effect on fine root production of P. asperata seedlings, but could enhance the nitrification process of their rhizosphere soils in subalpine coniferous forests.     

On the significance of belowground overyielding in temperate mixed forests: separating species identity and species diversity effects

Complementary soil exploration by the root systems of coexisting tree species has been hypothesised to result in a higher root biomass of mixed forests than of monocultures but the existing evidence for a belowground diversity effect in forests is scarce and not conclusive. In a species‐rich temperate broad‐leaved forest, we analysed the fine root biomass (roots ≤ 2 mm) and necromass in 100 plots differing in tree species diversity (one to three species) and species composition (all possible combinations of five species of the genera Acer, Carpinus, Fagus, Fraxinus and Tilia) which allowed us to separate possible species diversity and species identity effects on fine root biomass. We found no evidence of a positive diversity effect on standing fine root biomass and thus of overyielding in terms of root biomass. Root necromass decreased with increasing species diversity at marginal significance. Various lines of evidence indicate significant species identity effects on fine root biomass (10–20% higher fine root biomass in plots with presence of maple and beech than in plots with hornbeam; 100% higher fine root biomass in monospecific beech and ash plots than in hornbeam plots; differences significant). Ash fine roots tended to be over‐represented in the 2‐ and 3‐species mixed plots compared to monospecific ash plots pointing at apparent belowground competitive superiority of Fraxinus in this mixed forest. Our results indicate that belowground overyielding and spatial complementarity of root systems may be the exception rather than the rule in temperate mixed forests.     

不同施肥方法对马来沉香和土沉香苗期根系生长的影响

以珍贵树种马来沉香、土沉香1年生播种苗木为材料进行试验,研究指数施肥、平均施肥对2种沉香苗期根系生长动态及对N的响应特征。结果表明,经氮素处理的马来沉香、土沉香的根系生物量、根系长度、根系表面积、根系平均直径、根体积等指标均显著高于对照处理(P<0.05)。经指数施肥处理的苗木根系生长及各形态指标均高于平均施肥处理。同一时期在相同施肥处理方式下,马来沉香苗根系生长及根系形态指标值均高于土沉香。洛伦兹模型对不同施肥方法处理下马来沉香、土沉香苗木生长指标与根系生物量进行拟合,具有较高的R²(0.95-0.99)和较低的RSMD(0.538-2.352);抛物面模型对不同施肥方法处理下马来沉香、土沉香苗木生长指标与比根长进行拟合,具有较高的R²(0.92-0.99)和较低的RSMD(3.218-6.692)。     

毛竹扩张对濒危植物桫椤根系形态可塑性的影响

为探讨毛竹(Phyllostachys heterocycla)向桫椤(Alsophila spinulosa)林扩张的根系形态可塑性变化,在赤水桫椤国家级自然保护区毛竹-桫椤混交林上分别设置受毛竹轻度、中度以及重度干扰的样地,用根钻法收集桫椤、毛竹根系并对其生物量密度、细根比根长、相邻同级侧根节点距等参数进行比对。结果表明:各干扰程度下桫椤根系生物量密度均远低于毛竹,且二者呈负相关;随着与毛竹的接近,桫椤根系生物量持续下降;各样地中毛竹细根比根长均高于桫椤;重度干扰下毛竹侧根节点距最小,侧根数目最多;且毛竹根系多分布于表层土壤。由此可见,桫椤根系逐渐趋向于分布在深层土壤,毛竹在向桫椤林扩张过程中可通过改变根系生物量密度、细根比根长、相邻同级侧根节点距等形态可塑性特征来占据优势。     

Heterotrophic nitrogen fixation in oligotrophic tropical marshes: changes after phosphorus addition

In order to determine the impact of nutrient enrichment on phosphorus (P) limited wetlands, we established experimental P additions in marshes throughout northern Belize. P significantly increased macrophyte primary production, which led to the rapid elimination of cyanobacterial mats. The replacement of cyanobacterial mats by macrophytes constrained autotrophic nitrogen (N) fixation, increased the quantity, and changed the quality of organic matter input to the sediments. We predicted that the activity of sediment heterotrophic N fixers will be impacted by these alterations in carbon input. We used the acetylene reduction technique to measure potential (glucose amended) nitrogenase activity (NA) in sediments from controls and treatment plots that have been P enriched for four years and dominated either by Eleocharis cellulosa, or Typha domingensis for two years. NA in P-enriched plots was 2–3 orders of magnitude higher than NA in controls. NA was positively correlated with the soil reactive P, both total organic and microbial carbon, live root biomass, and total phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) as an indicator of active microbial biomass. It was negatively correlated with the concentration of ammonium-N. Path analysis revealed that the indirect effect of P on NA through the root biomass was more important than the direct effect of P. NA of the upper sediment layer was consistently higher in Eleocharis than in Typha dominated plots, despite the higher litter input by Typha. We feel that the higher levels of lignin and phenolics occurring in Typha litter, relative to Eleocharis, constrained NA in Typha plots. Handling editor: Luis Mauricio Bini     

杉木叶片、细根功能性状对毛竹扩张及伐除的响应

功能性状能够反映植物对不同环境的适应策略。毛竹扩张与外来植物入侵相似,常引起原有植物生存环境的改变,而原有植物功能性状对毛竹扩张及伐除的响应机制尚不清楚。选取毛竹-杉木混交林和去竹杉木林为研究对象,以杉木纯林为对照,比较分析杉木比叶面积、叶干物质含量、叶组织密度等叶功能性状以及比根长、细根生物量、细根根长密度等细根功能性状的变化以及其间的相关关系。结果表明：(1)与杉木纯林相比,混交林中杉木的叶相对含水量以及叶干物质含量分别减少了5.07%、0.032 g/g,叶组织密度以及比叶面积分别增加了0.005 g/cm³、10.33 cm²/g;而去竹杉木林中,杉木比叶面积、叶相对含水量减少,叶干物质含量和叶组织密度则呈上升趋势。(2)与杉木纯林相比,混交林中杉木细根生物量、细根体积密度以及细根根长密度都不断下降,而杉木细根比根长在0—20 cm土深处显著增加(P<0.05);而去竹杉木林中杉木细根比根长、细根根长密度和细根生物量则显著降低(P<0.05),细根体积密度在20—30 cm土深处有所增加。(3)杉木纯林中杉木细根功能性状间...     

禁牧对伊犁绢蒿种群数量特征及其构件生物量分配的影响

该研究于2020年5月、7月和9月在天山北坡中段试验区的禁牧区(5a)和放牧区分别进行调查采样,测定分析不同月份禁牧区和放牧区伊犁绢蒿种群数量特征(高度、盖度、密度和生物量)及构件(茎、叶、根)生物量,以揭示植物种群特征和构件生物量对禁牧的响应规律,为退化草地的修复治理以及合理利用提供依据。结果表明：(1)与放牧区相比,5月、7月、9月禁牧区的伊犁绢蒿种群的高度、盖度和生物量均显著增加(P<0.05),其中高度增幅为69.90%～95.53%,盖度增幅为186.53%～297.82%,生物量增幅为86.24%～631.83%。(2)随着月份的推移,禁牧区与放牧区伊犁绢蒿单株生物量、茎生物量和叶生物量均呈先降后增的变化趋势,而根生物量呈增加的趋势;禁牧改变了植株构件比例,与放牧区相比,禁牧区茎、叶的生物量所占单株生物量的比例在7月、9月均显著增加,而根生物量所占比例显著降低。研究认为,禁牧有利于地上植被的恢复,使其构件结构改变,是恢复退化荒漠草地植物的有效措施。     

Allocation,within and between organs,and the dynamics of root length changes in two birch species

Spatial and temporal dynamics of biomass allocation within and between organs were investigated in seedlings of two birch species of contrasting successional status. Seedlings of Betula alleghaniensis Britt (yellow birch) and B. populifolia Marsh (gray birch) were grown for 6 weeks at two nutrient levels in rectangular plexiglass containers to allow non-destructive estimates of root growth, production and loss. Leaf area and production were simultaneously monitored. Yellow birch responded more to nutrient level than gray birch in terms of total biomass, shoot biomass, leaf area and root length. Yellow birch also flexibly altered within-organ allocation (specific leaf area, specific root length and specific soil amount). In contrast, gray birch altered between-organ allocation patterns (root length:leaf area and soil amount:leaf area ratios) more than yellow birch in response to nutrient level. Yellow birch showed greater overall root density changes within a very compact root system, while gray birch showed localized root density changes as concentric bands of new root production spread through the soil. Species differ critically in their responses of standing root length and root production and loss rates to nutrient supply. Early successional species such as gray birch are hypothesized to exhibit higher plasticity in varied environments than later successional species such as yellow birch. Our results suggest that different patterns of allocation, within and between plant organs, do not necessarily follow the same trajectories. To characterize thoroughly the nature of functional flexibility through ontogeny, within- and between-organ patterns of allocation must be accounted for.     

Seasonal dynamics of fine root biomass, root length density, specific root length, and soil resource availability in a Larix gmelinii plantation

Fine root turnover is a major pathway for carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems and is most likely sensitive to many global change factors. Despite the importance of fine root turnover in plant C allocation and nutrient cycling dynamics and the tremendous research efforts in the past, our understanding of it remains limited. This is because the dynamics processes associated with soil resources availability are still poorly understood. Soil moisture, temperature, and available nitrogen are the most important soil characteristics that impact fine root growth and mortality at both the individual root branch and at the ecosystem level. In temperate forest ecosystems, seasonal changes of soil resource availability will alter the pattern of carbon allocation to belowground. Therefore, fine root biomass, root length density (RLD) and specific root length (SRL) vary during the growing season. Studying seasonal changes of fine root biomass, RLD, and SRL associated with soil resource availability will help us understand the mechanistic controls of carbon to fine root longevity and turnover. The objective of this study was to understand whether seasonal variations of fine root biomass, RLD and SRL were associated with soil resource availability, such as moisture, temperature, and nitrogen, and to understand how these soil components impact fine root dynamics in Larix gmelinii plantation. We used a soil coring method to obtain fine root samples (⩽2 mm in diameter) every month from May to October in 2002 from a 17-year-old L. gmelinii plantation in Maoershan Experiment Station, Northeast Forestry University, China. Seventy-two soil cores (inside diameter 60 mm; depth intervals: 0–10 cm, 10–20 cm, 20–30 cm) were sampled randomly from three replicates 25 m × 30 m plots to estimate fine root biomass (live and dead), and calculate RLD and SRL. Soil moisture, temperature, and nitrogen (ammonia and nitrates) at three depth intervals were also analyzed in these plots. Results showed that the average standing fine root biomass (live and dead) was 189.1 g·m⁻²·a⁻¹, 50% (95.4 g·m⁻²·a⁻¹) in the surface soil layer (0–10 cm), 33% (61.5 g·m⁻²·a⁻¹), 17% (32.2 g·m⁻²·a⁻¹) in the middle (10–20 cm) and deep layer (20–30cm), respectively. Live and dead fine root biomass was the highest from May to July and in September, but lower in August and October. The live fine root biomass decreased and dead biomass increased during the growing season. Mean RLD (7,411.56 m·m⁻³·a⁻¹) and SRL (10.83 m·g⁻¹·a⁻¹) in the surface layer were higher than RLD (1 474.68 m·m⁻³·a⁻¹) and SRL (8.56 m·g⁻¹·a⁻¹) in the deep soil layer. RLD and SRL in May were the highest (10 621.45 m·m⁻³ and 14.83m·g⁻¹) compared with those in the other months, and RLD was the lowest in September (2 198.20 m·m⁻³) and SRL in October (3.77 m·g⁻¹). Seasonal dynamics of fine root biomass, RLD, and SRL showed a close relationship with changes in soil moisture, temperature, and nitrogen availability. To a lesser extent, the temperature could be determined by regression analysis. Fine roots in the upper soil layer have a function of absorbing moisture and nutrients, while the main function of deeper soil may be moisture uptake rather than nutrient acquisition. Therefore, carbon allocation to roots in the upper soil layer and deeper soil layer was different. Multiple regression analysis showed that variation in soil resource availability could explain 71–73% of the seasonal variation of RLD and SRL and 58% of the variation in fine root biomass. These results suggested a greater metabolic activity of fine roots living in soil with higher resource availability, which resulted in an increased allocation of carbohydrate to these roots, but a lower allocation of carbohydrate to those in soil with lower resource availability. __________ Translated from Acta Phytoecologica Sinica, 2005, 29(3): 403–410 [译自: 植物生态学报, 2005, 29(3): 403–410]     

Effects of drainage and temperature on carbon balance of tussock tundra micrososms

We examined the importance of temperature (7°C or 15°C) and soil moisture regime (saturated or field capacity) on the carbon (C) balance of arctic tussock tundra microcosms (intact blocks of soil and vegetation) in growth chambers over an 81-day simulated growing season. We measured gaseous CO₂ exchanges, methane (CH₄) emissions, and dissolved C losses on intact blocks of tussock (Eriophorum vaginatum) and intertussock (moss-dominated). We hypothesized that under increased temperature and/or enhanced drainage, C losses from ecosystem respiration (CO₂ respired by plants and heterotrophs) would exceed gains from gross photosynthesis causing tussock tundra to become a net source of C to the atmosphere. The field capacity moisture regime caused a decrease in net CO₂ storage (NEP) in tussock tundra micrososms. This resulted from a stimulation of ecosystem respiration (probably mostly microbial) with enhanced drainage, rather than a decrease in gross photosynthesis. Elevated temperature alone had no effect on NEP because CO₂ losses from increased ecosystem respiration at elevated temperature were compensated by increased CO₂ uptake (gross photosynthesis). Although CO₂ losses from ecosystem respiration were primarily limited by drainage, CH₄ emissions, in contrast, were dependent on temperature. Furthermore, substantial dissolved C losses, especially organic C, and important microhabitat differences must be considered in estimating C balance for the tussock tundra system. As much as 20% of total C fixed in photosynthesis was lost as dissolved organic C. Tussocks stored 2x more C and emitted 5x more methane than intertussocks. In spite of the limitations of this microcosm experiment, this study has further elucidated the critical role of soil moisture regime and dissolved C losses in regulating net C balance of arctic tussock tundra.     

Fertilization in a mature Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stand—effects on fine roots

The effects of liquid and solid fertilizers on fine-root development were studied in a 130-year-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stand. Ingrowth cores,viz. initially root-free mesh bags with sieved mineral soil taken outside the plots and driven to a depth of 30 cm from the soil surface, were subsequently resampled and the amount of fine roots was estimated. The total accretion of both fine-root length and dry weight was comparatively high in the liquid fertilization plot. The most substantial net accretion, however, during the 1984 period was in the control plot. The results of the study is that the ramification pattern of the fine roots was strongly influenced by fertilization. The average number of root tips per unit length was 9.9 cm⁻¹ in the control plot cm⁻¹, compared with both the solid (A and B) and liquid fertilization plots (2.3, 3.2 and 3.3 cm⁻¹, respectively) due to a greater occurrence of mycorrhizal aggregates (‘ball mycorrhiza’). The effects of fertilization on the mineral nutrient concentrations in the fine roots were limited—the strongest effects were in the liquid-fertilized area. The observed increase in the concentration of most mineral nutrients in the latter experimental area, however, may be due to a change in the growth pattern of the fine roots rather than an effect of the fertilizers themselves.     

Fine-root morphology and uptake of 32P and 35S in a Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stand subjected to various nutrient and water supplies

An investigation of fine (< 1 mm in diameter) and small (1–2 mm in diameter) roots in the organic soil layer was carried out in a Norway spruce forest stand with different treatments of water and nutrients, including control (C); ammonium sulphate application (NS); nitrogen-free fertilization (V); irrigation with liquid fertilization (a complete nutrient solution) (IF); NS followed by artificial drought (ND); V followed by artificial drought (VD). In order to evaluate the vitality and function of the fine roots, the following approaches were used: i) classification of fine roots, based on morphological characteristics; ii) nutrient uptake bioassay, using ³²P-phosphate and ³⁵S-sulphate; iii) nutrient concentration in fine roots and its relation to nutrient uptake. The NS treatment showed effects on the fine and small roots, with a decrease in amount of living roots, and a decrease in the total amount of fine and small roots. The VD treatment resulted in increased amounts of living small roots, while the ND treatment showed the opposite, as compared with the V and NS treatments, respectively. The uptake of P was negatively related to the P supply, with a higher P uptake for C and NS fine roots than for IF and V fine roots. The specific root length (SRL, m g^-1 DW) decreased for NS fine roots and increased for IF fine roots, indicating a further increase in uptake for NS roots and a decreased uptake for IF roots if calculated on a root length basis. So far, the NS and IF treatments maintain a considerable increase in above-ground biomass with a significantly reduced root biomass and standing crop.