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Manu R, Veldkamp E, Eryenyu D, Corre MD, van Straaten O. Nitrogen and potassium limit fine root growth in a humid Afrotropical forest. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13154. [PMID: 38849444 PMCID: PMC11161472 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63684-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Nutrient limitations play a key regulatory role in plant growth, thereby affecting ecosystem productivity and carbon uptake. Experimental observations identifying the most limiting nutrients are lacking, particularly in Afrotropical forests. We conducted an ecosystem-scale, full factorial nitrogen (N)-phosphorus (P)-potassium (K) addition experiment consisting 32 40 × 40 m plots (eight treatments × four replicates) in Uganda to investigate which (if any) nutrient limits fine root growth. After two years of observations, added N rapidly decreased fine root biomass by up to 36% in the first and second years of the experiment. Added K decreased fine root biomass by 27% and fine root production by 30% in the second year. These rapid reductions in fine root growth highlight a scaled-back carbon investment in the costly maintenance of large fine root network as N and K limitations become alleviated. No fine root growth response to P addition was observed. Fine root turnover rate was not significantly affected by nutrient additions but tended to be higher in N added than non-N added treatments. These results suggest that N and K availability may restrict the ecosystem's capacity for CO2 assimilation, with implications for ecosystem productivity and resilience to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Manu
- Department of Soil Science of Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Edzo Veldkamp
- Department of Soil Science of Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - David Eryenyu
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (Edinburgh Zoo), Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Marife D Corre
- Department of Soil Science of Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Cusack DF, Christoffersen B, Smith-Martin CM, Andersen KM, Cordeiro AL, Fleischer K, Wright SJ, Guerrero-Ramírez NR, Lugli LF, McCulloch LA, Sanchez-Julia M, Batterman SA, Dallstream C, Fortunel C, Toro L, Fuchslueger L, Wong MY, Yaffar D, Fisher JB, Arnaud M, Dietterich LH, Addo-Danso SD, Valverde-Barrantes OJ, Weemstra M, Ng JC, Norby RJ. Toward a coordinated understanding of hydro-biogeochemical root functions in tropical forests for application in vegetation models. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 242:351-371. [PMID: 38416367 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Tropical forest root characteristics and resource acquisition strategies are underrepresented in vegetation and global models, hampering the prediction of forest-climate feedbacks for these carbon-rich ecosystems. Lowland tropical forests often have globally unique combinations of high taxonomic and functional biodiversity, rainfall seasonality, and strongly weathered infertile soils, giving rise to distinct patterns in root traits and functions compared with higher latitude ecosystems. We provide a roadmap for integrating recent advances in our understanding of tropical forest belowground function into vegetation models, focusing on water and nutrient acquisition. We offer comparisons of recent advances in empirical and model understanding of root characteristics that represent important functional processes in tropical forests. We focus on: (1) fine-root strategies for soil resource exploration, (2) coupling and trade-offs in fine-root water vs nutrient acquisition, and (3) aboveground-belowground linkages in plant resource acquisition and use. We suggest avenues for representing these extremely diverse plant communities in computationally manageable and ecologically meaningful groups in models for linked aboveground-belowground hydro-nutrient functions. Tropical forests are undergoing warming, shifting rainfall regimes, and exacerbation of soil nutrient scarcity caused by elevated atmospheric CO2. The accurate model representation of tropical forest functions is crucial for understanding the interactions of this biome with the climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela F Cusack
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, 1231 Libbie Coy Way, A104, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1476, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, Balboa, 0843-03092, Panama
| | - Bradley Christoffersen
- School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, 78539, USA
| | - Chris M Smith-Martin
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | | | - Amanda L Cordeiro
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, 1231 Libbie Coy Way, A104, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1476, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, Balboa, 0843-03092, Panama
| | - Katrin Fleischer
- Department Biogeochemical Signals, Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Straße 10, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - S Joseph Wright
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, Balboa, 0843-03092, Panama
| | - Nathaly R Guerrero-Ramírez
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of Temperate Zones, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Göttingen, Gottingen, 37077, Germany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Göttingen, Gottingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Laynara F Lugli
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, 85354, Germany
| | - Lindsay A McCulloch
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency, 1850 Table Mesa Dr., Boulder, CO, 80305, USA
| | - Mareli Sanchez-Julia
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA
| | - Sarah A Batterman
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, Balboa, 0843-03092, Panama
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, 12545, USA
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Caroline Dallstream
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Av. du Docteur-Penfield, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Claire Fortunel
- AMAP (Botanique et Modélisation de l'Architecture des Plantes et des Végétations), Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, 34398, France
| | - Laura Toro
- Yale Applied Science Synthesis Program, The Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Lucia Fuchslueger
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, 1030, Austria
| | - Michelle Y Wong
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, 12545, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Daniela Yaffar
- Functional Forest Ecology, Universität Hamburg, Barsbüttel, 22885, Germany
| | - Joshua B Fisher
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, 1 University Drive, Orange, CA, 92866, USA
| | - Marie Arnaud
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences (IEES), UMR 7618, CNRS-Sorbonne University-INRAE-UPEC-IRD, Paris, 75005, France
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences & BIFOR, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Lee H Dietterich
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, 1231 Libbie Coy Way, A104, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1476, USA
- U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory, Vicksburg, MS, 39180, USA
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, 19003, USA
| | - Shalom D Addo-Danso
- Forests and Climate Change Division, CSIR-Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, P.O Box UP 63 KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Oscar J Valverde-Barrantes
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Center for Tropical Biodiversity, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Monique Weemstra
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Center for Tropical Biodiversity, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Jing Cheng Ng
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Richard J Norby
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
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Sciumbata M, Wenina YEM, Mbemba M, Dargie GC, Baird AJ, Morris PJ, Ifo SA, Aerts R, Lewis SL. First estimates of fine root production in tropical peat swamp and terra firme forests of the central Congo Basin. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12315. [PMID: 37516765 PMCID: PMC10387053 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38409-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Tropical peatlands are carbon-dense ecosystems because they accumulate partially-decomposed plant material. A substantial fraction of this organic matter may derive from fine root production (FRP). However, few FRP estimates exist for tropical peatlands, with none from the world's largest peatland complex in the central Congo Basin. Here we report on FRP using repeat photographs of roots from in situ transparent tubes (minirhizotrons), measured to 1 m depth over three one-month periods (spanning dry to wet seasons), in a palm-dominated peat swamp forest, a hardwood-dominated peat swamp forest, and a terra firme forest. We find FRP of 2.6 ± 0.3 Mg C ha-1 yr-1, 1.9 ± 0.5 Mg C ha-1 yr-1, and 1.7 ± 0.1 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 in the three ecosystem types respectively (mean ± standard error; no significant ecosystem type differences). These estimates fall within the published FRP range worldwide. Furthermore, our hardwood peat swamp estimate is similar to the only other FRP study in tropical peatlands, also hardwood-dominated, from Micronesia. We also found that FRP decreased with depth and was the highest during the dry season. Overall, we show that minirhizotrons can be used as a low-disturbance method to estimate FRP in tropical forests and peatlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Sciumbata
- Section Systems Ecology, Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Yeto Emmanuel Mampouya Wenina
- École Normale Supérieure, Departement des sciences et vie de la terre, Université Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Mackline Mbemba
- École Normale Supérieure, Departement des sciences et vie de la terre, Université Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Andy J Baird
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | | | - Suspense Averti Ifo
- École Normale Supérieure, Departement des sciences et vie de la terre, Université Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Rien Aerts
- Section Systems Ecology, Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Simon L Lewis
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
- Department of Geography, University College London, London, UK
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Wen X, Wang X, Ye M, Liu H, He W, Wang Y, Li T, Zhao K, Hou G, Chen G, Li X, Fan C. Response strategies of fine root morphology of Cupressus funebris to the different soil environment. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1077090. [PMID: 36618632 PMCID: PMC9811150 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1077090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Understanding fine root morphology is crucial to uncover water and nutrient acquisition and transposition of fine roots. However, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding how the soil environment affects the fine root morphology of various root orders in the stable forest ecosystem. Therefore, this experiment assessed the response strategies of fine root morphology (first- to fifth -order fine roots) in four different soil environments. The results showed that fine root morphology was related to soil environment, and there were significant differences in specific root length (SRL), specific surface area (SRA), diameter (D), and root tissue density (RTD) of first- and second -order fine roots. Soil total nitrogen (TN), alkaline nitrogen (AN) and available phosphorus (AP) were positively correlated with SRL and SRA and negatively correlated with D and RTD. Soil moisture (SW) was positively correlated with the D and RTD of first- and second-order fine roots and negatively correlated with the SRL and SRA. Soil temperature (ST), organic carbon (OC), soil bulk density (SBD) and soil porosity (SP) were not significantly correlated with the D, SRL, SRA, and RTD of the first- and second -order fine roots. AN was positively correlated with SRL and SRA and negatively correlated with both D and RTD in the first- and second -order fine roots, and the correlation coefficient was very significant. Therefore, we finally concluded that soil AN was the most critical factor affecting root D, SRL, SRA and RTD of fine roots, and mainly affected the morphology of first- and second -order fine roots. In conclusion, our research provides support for understanding the relationship between fine root morphology and soil environment, and indicates that soil nutrient gradient forms good root morphology at intraspecific scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Wen
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Mengting Ye
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hai Liu
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wenchun He
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yu Wang
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tianyi Li
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Kuangji Zhao
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River and Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Guirong Hou
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River and Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Gang Chen
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River and Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Xianwei Li
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River and Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Chuan Fan
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River and Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
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5
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Santos EA, Haro-Carrión X, Oshun J. Age-specific and species-specific tree response to seasonal drought in tropical dry forests. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 850:157908. [PMID: 35944638 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Millions of people depend on ecosystem services provided by Tropical Dry Forests (TDFs), yet their proximity to population centers, seasonally dry climate, and the ease at which they are converted to agriculture has left only 10 % of their original extent globally. As more TDFs become protected, basic information relating TDF age to subsurface water resources will help guide forest recovery. Severe deforestation and recent reforestation around Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador produced a mosaic of different successional stages ideal for exploring relationships between TDF age, subsurface water availability and species-specific responses to seasonal drought. Over one year, we measured gravimetric water content, predawn and midday leaf water potential, and the stable isotope composition of xylem and source waters in two regenerating and one primary forest. Over the transition from wet to dry season, we discovered a sharper decrease in predawn water potential in younger successional forests than in the primary forest. Growing in degraded subsurface environments under increased competition, successional forest trees accessed deeper sources of moisture from unsaturated weathered bedrock and groundwater through the dry season; however, different species employed distinct water use strategies. Ceiba trichistandra maintained midday water potentials above -1.27 MPa through a drought avoidance strategy dependent on groundwater. Sideroxylon celastrinum tolerated drought by lowering predawn and midday water potential through the early dry season but took up greater proportions of saprolite moisture and groundwater as the dry season progressed. Contrastingly, Handroanthus chrysanthus maintained access to shallow soil and saprolite moisture by dropping midday water potential to -4.30 MPa, reflecting drought tolerance. Our results show that limited subsurface water resources in regenerating TDF's lead to species-specific adaptations reliant on deeper sources of moisture. The recovery of soil and saprolite hydrologic properties following disturbances is likely to exceed 100 years, highlighting the importance of forest conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Santos
- University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America.
| | | | - Jasper Oshun
- U.S. Fulbright Scholar and Visiting Professor at the Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología, Lima, Peru
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Huaraca Huasco W, Riutta T, Girardin CAJ, Hancco Pacha F, Puma Vilca BL, Moore S, Rifai SW, Del Aguila-Pasquel J, Araujo Murakami A, Freitag R, Morel AC, Demissie S, Doughty CE, Oliveras I, Galiano Cabrera DF, Durand Baca L, Farfán Amézquita F, Silva Espejo JE, da Costa ACL, Oblitas Mendoza E, Quesada CA, Evouna Ondo F, Edzang Ndong J, Jeffery KJ, Mihindou V, White LJT, N'ssi Bengone N, Ibrahim F, Addo-Danso SD, Duah-Gyamfi A, Djaney Djagbletey G, Owusu-Afriyie K, Amissah L, Mbou AT, Marthews TR, Metcalfe DB, Aragão LEO, Marimon-Junior BH, Marimon BS, Majalap N, Adu-Bredu S, Abernethy KA, Silman M, Ewers RM, Meir P, Malhi Y. Fine root dynamics across pantropical rainforest ecosystems. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:3657-3680. [PMID: 33982340 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fine roots constitute a significant component of the net primary productivity (NPP) of forest ecosystems but are much less studied than aboveground NPP. Comparisons across sites and regions are also hampered by inconsistent methodologies, especially in tropical areas. Here, we present a novel dataset of fine root biomass, productivity, residence time, and allocation in tropical old-growth rainforest sites worldwide, measured using consistent methods, and examine how these variables are related to consistently determined soil and climatic characteristics. Our pantropical dataset spans intensive monitoring plots in lowland (wet, semi-deciduous, and deciduous) and montane tropical forests in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia (n = 47). Large spatial variation in fine root dynamics was observed across montane and lowland forest types. In lowland forests, we found a strong positive linear relationship between fine root productivity and sand content, this relationship was even stronger when we considered the fractional allocation of total NPP to fine roots, demonstrating that understanding allocation adds explanatory power to understanding fine root productivity and total NPP. Fine root residence time was a function of multiple factors: soil sand content, soil pH, and maximum water deficit, with longest residence times in acidic, sandy, and water-stressed soils. In tropical montane forests, on the other hand, a different set of relationships prevailed, highlighting the very different nature of montane and lowland forest biomes. Root productivity was a strong positive linear function of mean annual temperature, root residence time was a strong positive function of soil nitrogen content in montane forests, and lastly decreasing soil P content increased allocation of productivity to fine roots. In contrast to the lowlands, environmental conditions were a better predictor for fine root productivity than for fractional allocation of total NPP to fine roots, suggesting that root productivity is a particularly strong driver of NPP allocation in tropical mountain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Huaraca Huasco
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Terhi Riutta
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Cécile A J Girardin
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Sam Moore
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sami W Rifai
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Alejandro Araujo Murakami
- Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado Universidad Autónoma Gabriel Rene Moreno, Santa Cruz, Bolivia
| | - Renata Freitag
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, MT, Brazil
| | - Alexandra C Morel
- Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | | | - Christopher E Doughty
- School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Imma Oliveras
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Vianet Mihindou
- Ministère de la Foret, de la Mer, de l'Environnement, Chargé Du Plan Climat, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Lee J T White
- Ministère de la Foret, de la Mer, de l'Environnement, Chargé Du Plan Climat, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Natacha N'ssi Bengone
- Ministère de la Foret, de la Mer, de l'Environnement, Chargé Du Plan Climat, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Forzia Ibrahim
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, University, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Shalom D Addo-Danso
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, University, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Akwasi Duah-Gyamfi
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, University, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Gloria Djaney Djagbletey
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, University, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Kennedy Owusu-Afriyie
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, University, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Lucy Amissah
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, University, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Armel T Mbou
- Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici, Leece, Italy
| | | | - Daniel B Metcalfe
- Department of Ecology and Environment Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Luiz E O Aragão
- Divisão de Sensoriamento Remoto-DIDSR, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, São Jose dos Campos, SP, Brazil
| | - Ben H Marimon-Junior
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, MT, Brazil
| | - Beatriz S Marimon
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, MT, Brazil
| | - Noreen Majalap
- Sabah Forestry Department, Forest Research Centre, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Stephen Adu-Bredu
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, University, Kumasi, Ghana
| | | | - Miles Silman
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Robert M Ewers
- Department of Life Science, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Patrick Meir
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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7
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Contrasting Root System Structure and Belowground Interactions between Black Spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P) and Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx) in Boreal Mixedwoods of Eastern Canada. FORESTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/f11020127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study explored the underground interactions between black spruce and trembling aspen in pure and mixed stands to understand how their soil resource use help these species coexist in the boreal mixedwoods of Western Quebec. We analyzed species-specific fine root foraging strategies (root biomass and root tissue density) along three soil layers (organic, top 0–15 cm, and bottom 15–30 cm mineral soil), using 180 soil cores. We collected cores in three sites, each containing three 20 × 50 m2 plots of pure spruce, pure aspen, and mixed spruce and aspen stands. Spruce had a shallow rooting, whereas aspen had a deep rooting in both types of stands. Compared to pure spruce stands, spruce had a lower fine root biomass (FRB) and a higher root tissue density (RTD) in the organic layer of mixed stands. Both patterns were indicative of spruce’s more intensive resource use strategy and competitive advantage over aspen in that layer. Aspen FRB in the organic soil did not differ significantly between pure and mixed stands, but increased in the mineral soil of mixed stands. Since we did not observe a significant difference in the nutrient content of the mineral soil layer between pure aspen and mixed stands, we concluded that aspen may experience competitive exclusion in the organic layer by spruce. Aspen exhibited an extensive nutrient uptake strategy in the organic layer of mixed stands: higher FRB and lower RTD than spruce. In mixed stands, the differences in aspen rooting patterns between the organic and mineral layers suggested the use of contrasting nutrient uptake strategies along the soil profile. We speculate that the stronger spatial separation of the roots of spruce and aspen in mixed stands likely contribute to a higher partitioning of their nutrient uptake along the soil profile. These results indicate the competitive exclusion of aspen by spruce in boreal mixedwoods, which likely occurs in the soil organic layer.
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