Incorporation and remobilization of ¹³C within the fine-root systems of individual Abies alba trees in a temperate coniferous stand

Tree allocation dynamics beyond heat and hot drought stress reveal changes in carbon storage, belowground translocation and growth

Heatwaves combined with drought affect tree functioning with as yet undetermined legacy effects on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) allocation. We continuously monitored shoot and root gas exchange, δ¹³ CO₂ of respiration and stem growth in well-watered and drought-treated Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) seedlings exposed to increasing daytime temperatures (max. 42°C) and evaporative demand. Following stress release, we used ¹³ CO₂ canopy pulse-labeling, supplemented by soil-applied ¹⁵ N, to determine allocation to plant compartments, respiration and soil microbial biomass (SMB) over 2.5 wk. Previously heat-treated seedlings rapidly translocated ¹³ C along the long-distance transport path, to root respiration (R_root ; 7.1 h) and SMB (3 d). Furthermore, ¹³ C accumulated in branch cellulose, suggesting secondary growth enhancement. However, in recovering drought-heat seedlings, the mean residence time of ¹³ C in needles increased, whereas C translocation to R_root was delayed (13.8 h) and ¹³ C incorporated into starch rather than cellulose. Concurrently, we observed stress-induced low N uptake and aboveground allocation. C and N allocation during early recovery were affected by stress type and impact. Although C uptake increased quickly in both treatments, drought-heat in combination reduced the above-belowground coupling and starch accumulated in leaves at the expense of growth. Accordingly, C allocation during recovery depends on phloem translocation capacity.

Remarkable Similarity in Timing of Absorptive Fine-Root Production Across 11 Diverse Temperate Tree Species in a Common Garden

Long-term minirhizotron observations of absorptive fine roots provide insights into seasonal patterns of belowground root production and carbon dynamics. Our objective was to compare root dynamics over time across mature individuals of 11 temperate trees species: five evergreen and six deciduous. We analyzed the timing and growth on 1st-and 2nd-order roots in minirhizotron images down to a vertical depth of 35 cm, as well as monthly and total annual length production. Production patterns were related to total annual precipitation of the actual and previous year of root production over 6 years. The main or largest peak of annual fine-root production occurred between June and September for almost all species and years. In most years, when peaks occurred, the timing of peak root production was synchronized across all species. A linear mixed model revealed significant differences in monthly fine-root length production across species in certain years (species x year, P < 0.0001), which was strongly influenced by three tree species. Total annual root production was much higher in 2000-2002, when there was above-average rainfall in the previous year, compared with production in 2005-2007, which followed years of lower-than-average rainfall (2003-2006). Compared to the wetter period all species experienced a decline of at least 75% in annual production in the drier years. Total annual root length production was more strongly associated with previous year's (P < 0.001) compared with the actual year's precipitation (P = 0.003). Remarkably similar timing of monthly absorptive fine-root growth can occur across multiple species of diverse phylogeny and leaf habit in a given year, suggesting a strong influence of extrinsic factors on absorptive fine-root growth. The influence of previous year precipitation on annual absorptive fine-root growth underscores the importance of legacy effects in biological responses and suggests that a growth response of temperate trees to extreme precipitation or drought events can be exacerbated across years.

Nonlinear responses of total belowground carbon flux and its components to increased nitrogen availability in temperate forests

With the increased interest in allocating more carbon (C) belowground for C sequestration, total belowground C flux (TBCF) and its dynamics have become an important research topic. However, it remains uncertain whether TBCF responds nonlinearly to increased nitrogen (N) availability and how its main components (root and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi) contribute to TBCF. We established a four-year N addition experiment with control, low-N, medium-N, and high-N fertilization treatments in a N-limited temperate forest in northern China. We measured TBCF and its three main components including root respiration, ECM fungal respiration, and root production. The involved edaphic and plant factors were also measured. TBCF showed a nonlinear response to the increasing amounts of N addition, accelerated by 10.37% in low-N addition and restrained by 10.29% in high-N addition. Contrasting patterns of the contributions of root respiration and ECM fungal respiration to TBCF implies different strategies of investment in roots and ECM fungi under the different N-availability statuses. The ratio of production and respiration in roots under N addition was nearly 1:2, which indicated that when soil N availability increases, roots prefer to lose C by overflow respiration rather than fix C in new biomass. The low-N addition increased TBCF by directly increasing root respiration and indirectly increasing coarse root biomass. The medium-N addition positively affected TBCF by increasing root respiration but this positive effect was cancelled out by the significantly negative effect of the increased soil total N concentration. The decrease in soil pH was the most effective pathway to decrease TBCF in high-N addition. Because of a large-scale reforestation program for C sink management in recent years, our findings of the nonlinear response of TBCF to different N fertilization treatments could provide insight for predicting belowground C sequestration potential and its response to atmospheric N deposition.

Carbon allocation to the root system of tropical tree Ceiba pentandra using 13C pulse labelling in an aeroponic facility

Despite the important role of tropical forest ecosystems in the uptake and storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), the carbon (C) dynamics of tropical tree species remains poorly understood, especially regarding belowground roots. This study assessed the allocation of newly assimilated C in the fast-growing pioneer tropical tree species Ceiba pentandra (L.), with a special focus on different root categories. During a 5-day pulse-labelling experiment, 9-month-old (~3.5-m-tall) saplings were labelled with 13CO2 in a large-scale aeroponic facility, which allowed tracing the label in bulk biomass and in non-structural carbohydrates (sugars and starch) as well as respiratory CO2 from the canopy to the root system, including both woody and non-woody roots. A combined logistic and exponential model was used to evaluate 13C mean transfer time and mean residence time (MRT) to the root systems. We found 13C in the root phloem as early as 2 h after the labelling, indicating a mean C transfer velocity of 2.4 ± 0.1 m h-1. Five days after pulse labelling, 27% of the tracers taken up by the trees were found in the leaves and 13% were recovered in the woody tissue of the trunk, 6% in the bark and 2% in the root systems, while 52% were lost, most likely by respiration and exudation. Larger amounts of 13C were found in root sugars than in starch, the former also demonstrating shorter MRT than starch. Of all investigated root categories, non-woody white roots (NRW) showed the largest 13C enrichment and peaked in the deepest NRW (2-3.5 m) as early as 24 ± 2 h after labelling. In contrast to coarse woody brown roots, the sink strength of NRW increased with root depth. The findings of this study improve the understanding of C allocation in young tropical trees and provide unique insights into the changing contributions of woody and non-woody roots to C sink strengths with depth.

Carbon isotopic tracing of sugars throughout whole-trees exposed to climate warming

Trees allocate C from sources to sinks by way of a series of processes involving carbohydrate transport and utilization. Yet these dynamics are not well characterized in trees, and it is unclear how these dynamics will respond to a warmer world. Here, we conducted a warming and pulse-chase experiment on Eucalyptus parramattensis growing in a whole-tree chamber system to test whether warming impacts carbon allocation by increasing the speed of carbohydrate dynamics. We pulse-labelled large (6-m tall) trees with ¹³ C-CO₂ to follow recently fixed C through different organs by using compound-specific isotope analysis of sugars. We then compared concentrations and mean residence times of individual sugars between ambient and warmed (+3°C) treatments. Trees dynamically allocated ¹³ C-labelled sugars throughout the aboveground-belowground continuum. We did not, however, find a significant treatment effect on C dynamics, as sugar concentrations and mean residence times were not altered by warming. From the canopy to the root system, ¹³ C enrichment of sugars decreased, and mean residence times increased, reflecting dilution and mixing of recent photoassimilates with older reserves along the transport pathway. Our results suggest that a locally endemic eucalypt was seemingly able to adjust its physiology to warming representative of future temperature predictions for Australia.

Unravelling the age of fine roots of temperate and boreal forests

Fine roots support the water and nutrient demands of plants and supply carbon to soils. Quantifying turnover times of fine roots is crucial for modeling soil organic matter dynamics and constraining carbon cycle-climate feedbacks. Here we challenge widely used isotope-based estimates suggesting the turnover of fine roots of trees to be as slow as a decade. By recording annual growth rings of roots from woody plant species, we show that mean chronological ages of fine roots vary from <1 to 12 years in temperate, boreal and sub-arctic forests. Radiocarbon dating reveals the same roots to be constructed from 10 ± 1 year (mean ± 1 SE) older carbon. This dramatic difference provides evidence for a time lag between plant carbon assimilation and production of fine roots, most likely due to internal carbon storage. The high root turnover documented here implies greater carbon inputs into soils than previously thought which has wide-ranging implications for quantifying ecosystem carbon allocation.

Phloem Girdling of Norway Spruce Alters Quantity and Quality of Wood Formation in Roots Particularly Under Drought

Carbon (C) availability plays an essential role in tree growth and wood formation. We evaluated the hypothesis that a decrease in C availability (i) triggers mobilization of C reserves in the coarse roots of Picea abies to maintain growth and (ii) causes modification of wood structure notably under drought. The 6-year-old saplings were subjected to two levels of soil moisture (watered versus drought conditions) and root C status was manipulated by physically blocking phloem transport in the stem at three girdling dates (GDs). Stem girdling was done before the onset of bud break [day of the year (doy) 77], during vigorous aboveground shoot and radial stem growth (GD doy 138), and after cessation of shoot growth (GD doy 190). The effect of blockage of C transport on root growth, root phenology, and wood anatomical traits [cell lumen diameter (CLD) and cell wall thickness (CWT)] in earlywood (EW) and latewood (LW) was determined. To evaluate changes in belowground C status caused by girdling, non-structural carbohydrates (soluble sugars and starch) in coarse roots were determined at the time of girdling and after the growing season. Although fine root mass significantly decreased in response to blockage of phloem C transport, the phenology of root elongation growth was not affected. Surprisingly, radial root growth and CLD of EW tracheids in coarse roots were strikingly increased in drought-stressed trees, when girdling occurred before bud break or during aboveground stem growth. In watered trees, the growth response to girdling was less distinct, but the CWT of EW significantly increased. Starch reserves in the roots of girdled trees significantly decreased in both soil moisture treatments and at all GDs. We conclude that (i) radial growth and wood development in coarse roots of P. abies saplings are not only dependent on current photosynthates, and (ii) blockage of phloem transport induces physiological changes that outweigh drought effects imposed on root cambial activity and cell differentiation.

Seasonal variations drive short-term dynamics and partitioning of recently assimilated carbon in the foliage of adult beech and pine

¹³ CO₂ pulse-labelling experiments were performed in situ on adult beeches (Fagus sylvatica) and pines (Pinus pinaster) at different phenological stages to study seasonal and interspecific short-term dynamics and partitioning of recently assimilated carbon (C) in leaves. Polar fraction (PF, including soluble sugars, amino acids and organic acids) and starch were purified from foliage sampled during a 10-d chase period. C contents, isotopic compositions and ¹³ C dynamics parameters were determined in bulk foliage, PF and starch. Decrease in ¹³ C amount in bulk foliage followed a two-pool exponential model highlighting ¹³ C partitioning between 'mobile' and 'stable' pools, the relative proportion of the latter being maximal in beech leaves in May. Early in the growing season, new foliage acted as a strong C sink in both species, but although young leaves and needles were already photosynthesizing, the latter were still supplied with previous-year needle photosynthates 2 months after budburst. Mean ¹³ C residence times (MRT) were minimal in summer, indicating fast photosynthate export to supply perennial organ growth in both species. In late summer, MRT differed between senescing beech leaves and overwintering pine needles. Seasonal variations of ¹³ C partitioning and dynamics in field-grown tree foliage are closely linked to phenological differences between deciduous and evergreen trees.

Carbon Allocation into Different Fine-Root Classes of Young Abies alba Trees Is Affected More by Phenology than by Simulated Browsing

Abies alba (European silver fir) was used to investigate possible effects of simulated browsing on C allocation belowground by ¹³CO₂ pulse-labelling at spring, summer or autumn, and by harvesting the trees at the same time point of the labelling or at a later season for biomass and for ¹³C-allocation into the fine-root system. Before budburst in spring, the leader shoots and 50% of all lateral shoots of half of the investigated 5-year old Abies alba saplings were clipped to simulate browsing. At harvest, different fine-root classes were separated, and starch as an important storage compartment was analysed for concentrations. The phenology had a strong effect on the allocation of the ¹³C-label from shoots to roots. In spring, shoots did not supply the fine-roots with high amounts of the ¹³C-label, because the fine-roots contained less than 1% of the applied ¹³C. In summer and autumn, however, shoots allocated relatively high amounts of the ¹³C-label to the fine roots. The incorporation of the ¹³C-label as structural C or as starch into the roots is strongly dependent on the root type and the root diameter. In newly formed fine roots, 3–5% of the applied ¹³C was incorporated, whereas 1–3% in the ≤0.5 mm root class and 1–1.5% in the >0.5–1.0 mm root class were recorded. Highest ¹³C-enrichment in the starch was recorded in the newly formed fine roots in autumn. The clipping treatment had a significant positive effect on the amount of allocated ¹³C-label to the fine roots after the spring labelling, with high relative ¹³C-contents observed in the ≤0.5 mm and the >0.5–1.0 mm fine-root classes of clipped trees. No effects of the clipping were observed after summer and autumn labelling in the ¹³C-allocation patterns. Overall, our data imply that the season of C assimilation and, thus, the phenology of trees is the main determinant of the C allocation from shoots to roots and is clearly more important than browsing.

High intraspecific ability to adjust both carbon uptake and allocation under light and nutrient reduction in Halimium halimifolium L

The allocation of recently assimilated carbon (C) by plants depends on developmental stage and on environmental factors, but the underlying mechanisms are still a matter of debate. In the present study, we investigated the regulation of C uptake and allocation and their adjustments during plant growth. We induced different allocation strategies in the Mediterranean shrub Halimium halimifolium L. by a reduction of light (Low L treatment) and nutrient availability (Low N treatment) and analyzed allocation parameters as well as morphological and physiological traits for 15 months. Further, we conducted a (13)CO2 pulse-labeling and followed the way of recently assimilated carbon to eight different tissue classes and respiration for 13 days. The plant responses were remarkably distinct in our study, with mainly morphological/physiological adaptions in case of light reduction and adjustment of C allocation in case of nutrient reduction. The transport of recently assimilated C to the root system was enhanced in amount (c. 200%) and velocity under nutrient limited conditions compared to control plants. Despite the 57% light reduction the total biomass production was not affected in the Low L treatment. The plants probably compensated light reduction by an improvement of their ability to fix C. Thus, our results support the concept that photosynthesis is, at least in a medium term perspective, influenced by the C demand of the plant and not exclusively by environmental factors. Finally, our results indicate that growing heterotrophic tissues strongly reduce the C reflux from storage and structural C pools and therefore enhance the fraction of recent assimilates allocated to respiration. We propose that this interruption of the C reflux from storage and structural C pools could be a regulation mechanism for C translocation in plants.

Allocation dynamics of recently fixed carbon in beech saplings in response to increased temperatures and drought

The response of carbon allocation to drought has often been studied in terms of short-term transport velocity of recently fixed carbon from leaves to roots and root respiration. However, its dynamic response to other environmental conditions, e.g., to changes in temperature, is less clear. Here, we investigated the effects of drought, increased temperatures and their combination on transport velocity as well as on distribution of recent photoassimilates for different compounds, such as sugars, starch, organic acids and amino acids. We used a (13)CO(2) pulse-labelling approach and studied the recovery of (13)C in different plant tissues and compounds of beech saplings (Fagus sylvatica L.) during a 9-day chase period. Neither total dry biomass nor dry weights of leaves or roots were affected by drought or increased temperatures. Generally, the fast transfer of recently fixed assimilates from leaves to roots took about 1 day, while (13)C enrichment in soil CO(2) efflux peaked only 2 days after labelling. Increased temperatures prolonged mean transfer times of recent photoassimilates from the leaves to the roots, probably caused by enhanced intermediate storage alongside basipetal transfer, clearly impacting short-term carbon allocation. This temperature effect was seen in the delayed peak in (13)C excess of root sugars, decoupling the roots from the leaves in the short term. On average, ∼40% of the (13)C label initially present in the plant was recovered in the roots (over all treatment combinations), providing strong evidence for preferred carbon allocation into the roots at the end of the growing season. Root starch was the principal compound for long-term storage of carbon, whereas leaf (transitory) starch was remobilized again after some days, exhibiting the longest mean residence times under dry and warm conditions. These observation clearly point to different functionalities of the same compound (i.e., starch) in different plant tissues and the crucial role of roots for long-term carbon storage.

Nine years of irrigation cause vegetation and fine root shifts in a water-limited pine forest

Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) in the inner-Alpine dry valleys of Switzerland have suffered from increased mortality during the past decades, which has been caused by longer and more frequent dry periods. In addition, a proceeding replacement of Scots pines by pubescent oaks (Quercus pubescens Willd.) has been observed. In 2003, an irrigation experiment was performed to track changes by reducing drought pressure on the natural pine forest. After nine years of irrigation, we observed major adaptations in the vegetation and shifts in Scots pine fine root abundance and structure. Irrigation permitted new plant species to assemble and promote canopy closure with a subsequent loss of herb and moss coverage. Fine root dry weight increased under irrigation and fine roots had a tendency to elongate. Structural composition of fine roots remained unaffected by irrigation, expressing preserved proportions of cellulose, lignin and phenolic substances. A shift to a more negative δ13C signal in the fine root C indicates an increased photosynthetic activity in irrigated pine trees. Using radiocarbon (14C) measurement, a reduced mean age of the fine roots in irrigated plots was revealed. The reason for this is either an increase in newly produced fine roots, supported by the increase in fine root biomass, or a reduced lifespan of fine roots which corresponds to an enhanced turnover rate. Overall, the responses belowground to irrigation are less conspicuous than the more rapid adaptations aboveground. Lagged and conservative adaptations of tree roots with decadal lifespans are challenging to detect, hence demanding for long-term surveys. Investigations concerning fine root turnover rate and degradation processes under a changing climate are crucial for a complete understanding of C cycling.

Tracing fresh assimilates through Larix decidua exposed to elevated CO₂ and soil warming at the alpine treeline using compound-specific stable isotope analysis

How will carbon source-sink relations of 35-yr-old larch trees (Larix decidua) at the alpine treeline respond to changes in atmospheric CO(2) and climate? We evaluated the effects of previously elevated CO(2) concentrations (9 yr, 580 ppm, ended the previous season) and ongoing soil warming (4 yr, + 4°C). Larch branches were pulse labeled (50 at% (13)CO(2)) in July 2010 to trace fresh assimilates through tissues (buds, needles, bark and wood) and non-structural carbon compounds (NCC; starch, lipids, individual sugars) using compound-specific isotope analysis. Nine years of elevated CO(2) did not lead to increased NCC concentrations, nor did soil warming increase NCC transfer velocities. By contrast, we found slower transfer velocities and higher NCC concentrations than reported in the literature for lowland larch. As a result of low dilution with older carbon, sucrose and glucose showed the highest maximum (13)C labels, whereas labels were lower for starch, lipids and pinitol. Label residence times in needles were shorter for sucrose and starch (c. 2 d) than for glucose (c. 6 d). Although our treatments showed no persistent effect on larch carbon relations, low temperature at high altitudes clearly induced a limitation of sink activities (growth, respiration, root exudation), expressed in slower carbon transfer and higher NCC concentrations.

Stable-isotope labeling and probing of recent photosynthates into respired CO2, soil microbes and soil mesofauna using a xylem and phloem stem-injection technique on Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis)

RATIONALE

Here we report on the successful application of a novel stem-injection stable-isotope-labeling and probing technique in mature trees to trace the spatial and temporal distribution of rhizosphere carbon belowground.

METHODS

Three 22-year-old Sitka spruce trees were injected with 6.66 g of (13)C-labeled aspartic acid. Over the succeeding 30 days, soil CO(2) efflux, phospholipid fatty-acid (PLFA) microbial biomarkers and soil invertebrates (mites, collembolans and enchytraeids) were analyzed along a 50 m transect from each tree to determine the temporal and spatial patterns in the translocation of recently fixed photosynthates belowground.

RESULTS

Soil δ(13)CO(2) values peaked 13-23 days after injection, up to 5 m from the base of the injected tree and was, on average, 3.5‰ enriched in (13)C relative to the baseline. Fungal PLFA biomarkers peaked 2-4 days after stem-injection, up to 20 m from the base of the injected tree and were (13)C-enriched by up to 50‰. Significant (13)C enrichment in mites and enchytraeids occurred 4-6 days after injection (by, on average, 1.5‰).

CONCLUSIONS

Stem injection of large trees with (13)C-enriched compounds is a successful tool to trace C-translocation belowground. In particular, the significant (13)C enrichment of CO(2) and enchytraeids near the base of the tree and the significant (13)C enrichment of PLFAs up to 20 m away indicate that mature Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) have the capacity to support soil communities over large distances.

Allocation of carbon to fine root compounds and their residence times in a boreal forest depend on root size class and season

Fine roots play a key role in the forest carbon balance, but their carbon dynamics remain largely unknown. We pulse labelled 50 m(2) patches of young boreal forest by exposure to (13)CO(2) in early and late summer. Labelled photosynthates were traced into carbon compounds of < 1 and 1-3 mm diameter roots (fine roots), and into bulk tissue of these and first-order roots (root tips). Root tips were the most strongly labelled size class. Carbon allocation to all size classes was higher in late than in early summer; mean residence times (MRTs) in starch increased from 4 to 11 months. In structural compounds, MRTs were 0.8 yr in tips and 1.8 yr in fine roots. The MRT of carbon in sugars was in the range of days. Functional differences within the fine root population were indicated by carbon allocation patterns and residence times. Pronounced allocation of recent carbon and higher turnover rates in tips are associated with their role in nutrient and water acquisition. In fine roots, longer MRTs but high allocation to sugars and starch reflect their role in structural support and storage. Accounting for heterogeneity in carbon residence times will improve and most probably reduce the estimates of fine root production.

Pulse-labelling trees to study carbon allocation dynamics: a review of methods, current knowledge and future prospects

Pulse-labelling of trees with stable or radioactive carbon (C) isotopes offers the unique opportunity to trace the fate of labelled CO(2) into the tree and its release to the soil and the atmosphere. Thus, pulse-labelling enables the quantification of C partitioning in forests and the assessment of the role of partitioning in tree growth, resource acquisition and C sequestration. However, this is associated with challenges as regards the choice of a tracer, the methods of tracing labelled C in tree and soil compartments and the quantitative analysis of C dynamics. Based on data from 47 studies, the rate of transfer differs between broadleaved and coniferous species and decreases as temperature and soil water content decrease. Labelled C is rapidly transferred belowground-within a few days or less-and this transfer is slowed down by drought. Half-lives of labelled C in phloem sap (transfer pool) and in mature leaves (source organs) are short, while those of sink organs (growing tissues, seasonal storage) are longer. (13)C measurements in respiratory efflux at high temporal resolution provide the best estimate of the mean residence times of C in respiratory substrate pools, and the best basis for compartmental modelling. Seasonal C dynamics and allocation patterns indicate that sink strength variations are important drivers for C fluxes. We propose a conceptual model for temperate and boreal trees, which considers the use of recently assimilated C versus stored C. We recommend best practices for designing and analysing pulse-labelling experiments, and identify several topics which we consider of prime importance for future research on C allocation in trees: (i) whole-tree C source-sink relations, (ii) C allocation to secondary metabolism, (iii) responses to environmental change, (iv) effects of seasonality versus phenology in and across biomes, and (v) carbon-nitrogen interactions. Substantial progress is expected from emerging technologies, but the largest challenge remains to carry out in situ whole-tree labelling experiments on mature trees to improve our understanding of the environmental and physiological controls on C allocation.