The role of soil conditions in fine root ecomorphology in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst (original) (raw)
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Biomass, morphology and nutrient contents of fine roots in four Norway spruce stands
Plant and Soil, 2007
Fine root systems may respond to soil chemical conditions, but contrasting results have been obtained from field studies in non-manipulated forests with distinct soil chemical properties. We investigated biomass, necromass, live/dead ratios, morphology and nutrient concentrations of fine roots (<2 mm) in four mature Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) stands of south-east Germany, encompassing variations in soil chemical properties and climate. All stands were established on acidic soils (pH (CaCl 2 ) range 2.8-3.8 in the humus layer), two of the four stands had molar ratios in soil solution below 1 and one of the four stands had received a liming treatment 22 years before the study. Soil cores down to 40 cm mineral soil depth were taken in autumn and separated into four fractions: humus layer, 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm and 20-40 cm. We found no indications of negative effects of N availability on fine root properties despite large variations in inorganic N seepage fluxes (4-34 kg N ha -1 yr -1 ), suggesting that the variation in N deposition between 17 and 26 kg N ha -1 yr -1 does not affect the fine root system of Norway spruce. Fine root biomass was largest in the humus layer and apparently different. Two stands with high base saturation in the subsoil showed a vertical decrease in specific root length and specific root tip density whereas the other two stands showed an opposite pattern or no effect. Our results suggest that proliferation of fine roots increased with decreasing base saturation in the subsoil of Norway spruce stands.
Forest Ecology and Management, 2006
Wood ash is recommended as a compensatory fertiliser to counteract the effects of acidic deposition on forest ecosystems. Spatial distribution of biomass, necromass and morphology parameters of the fine roots (diameter classes <1, 1-2, <2 mm) of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) were analysed in response to fertilisation with granulated wood ash (GWA) in a long-term field experiment in SW Sweden. GWA was applied as a single dose of 3200 kg ha À1 and the fine roots were sampled 9 years later by soil coring. Soil cores were divided into 1-cm strata within the top 0-2.5 cm humus limits, the lower humus below 2.5 cm (with varying thickness) and the mineral soil to 50 cm depth (from ground surface). Total fine-root biomass in the control (C) and GWA treatment, 256 AE 20 and 258 AE 25 g m À2 , respectively, and length 2072 AE 182 and 1800 AE 198 m m À2 , respectively, did not differ statistically from each other. Total fine-root necromass in the 1-2 mm fraction was significantly higher in C than in the GWA treatment, 130 AE 12 and 80 AE 10 g m À2 , respectively. Fine-root biomass in the <1 mm fraction was significantly greater in the lower humus in the GWA treatment, but this did not affect the total biomass in the <1 mm fraction in the whole soil profile. The biomass-to-necromass ratio (1-2 mm) was significantly higher in the GWA treatment in the 0-30 cm soil layer than in the corresponding layer of the control. Specific root length (SRL) was lower in the GWA treatment than in the control in the 0-5 cm soil layer. The lower necromass and SRL were more clearly related to the GWA treatment, whereas the difference in the vertical distribution of biomass may have been related to the thicker humus layer in the GWA plots. #
Forest Ecology and Management, 1999
Fine-root biomass, biomass production and necromass were studied using soil cores and ingrowth cores in Finland and Sweden in four Picea abies stands repeatedly limed and fertilized with N, and PK separately and in combination. The ®ne-root biomass was smaller than control, though not always signi®cantly, in those plots that had received lime (Ca, NCa, PKCa) or PK alone. These plots also had a large ®ne-root necromass. The lower ®ne-root biomass values in the PK-, Ca-, PKCa-and NCa-plots may have been caused by smaller ®ne-root production and greater mortality since in these plots the ingrowth of ®ne roots was also the smallest, and the proportion of dead ®ne roots in the soil cores and in the ingrowth cores highest. The negative effect of fertilizers with lime or PK alone, and PKCa on the stem volume growth may be related to the smaller ®neroot biomass and, especially, ®ne root growth. Those plots that had received nitrogen alone, or together with PK had similar or larger ®ne-root biomass than control, except in the Heinola experiment which was situated on a fertile soil type in southern Finland. The larger biomass values were caused by higher ®ne-root production since the ingrowth of ®ne roots was also greatest in these plots. The results suggest that the differences in the above-ground growth between stands of varying nutritional treatment on the same site may be related to the correspondent differences in the ®ne-root biomass, and especially, ®ne-root growth.
Forest Ecology and Management, 2005
Fine root bio-and necromass, net primary production (NPP) of fine roots and its proportion of the NPP of trees, as well as turnover rate were investigated in a fertile middle-aged Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) stand by sequential core and ingrowth core methods. The stand's site type is Oxalis, the site quality class is I a and the soil type is Umbric Luvisol (FAO classification). Twenty soil cores (volumetric samples, core diameter 38 mm) were taken monthly during the period June-1996 to November 1996 and in June-1997. Ingrowth cores were collected, 15 at a time, during the growing seasons from 1997 to 1999, once after first year and three times in the second and third years. Spruce roots from samples collected by both methods were separated into living and dead roots (two diameter classes: <1 and 1 mm d <2 mm). The fine root NPP was calculated according to the decision matrix, and root turnover rate was calculated as annual root production divided by mean fine root biomass.
Forest Ecology and Management, 2013
Fine roots contribute to net primary production in forests, but knowledge of fine root longevity and turnover is still incomplete and limited to few tree species. In this study, we used minirhizotrons to compare fine root biomass, longevity and turnover of Pinus sylvestris L., Betula pendula Roth and Picea abies (L) Karst. in southern Sweden. Minirhizotron tubes were installed in 2006 and root images were taken in 2007-2010. Soil cores were used to estimate fine root biomass. Soil samples were taken from the humus layer and from 0 to 10 cm, 10 to 20 cm and 20 to 30 cm depth in the mineral soil. Only images from the humus layer and the upper 10 cm of mineral soil were included in root analysis. Spruce has a higher aboveground production than pine and birch in southern Sweden and this was reflected in larger fine root biomass as well as higher fine root biomass production. The annual tree fine root biomass production (humus and 0-30 cm in mineral soil) was 73, 78 and 284 g m À2 in pine, birch and spruce stands, respectively. Thicker fine roots tended to live longer. The majority of the fine roots were thinner than 0.5 mm in diameter, with a turnover rate (KM) of 0.4 year À1. When comparing all fine roots, i.e. all roots 0-2 mm, pine had the highest longevity, 1120 days, compared with 900 days for spruce and 922 days for birch (KM).
Tree Physiology, 2007
Variations in fine root biomass of trees and understory in 16 stands throughout Finland were examined and relationships to site and stand characteristics determined. Norway spruce fine root biomass varied between 184 and 370 g m-2 , and that of Scots pine ranged between 149 and 386 g m-2. In northern Finland, understory roots and rhizomes (< 2 mm diameter) accounted for up to 50% of the stand total fine root biomass. Therefore, the fine root biomass of trees plus understory was larger in northern Finland in stands of both tree species, resulting in a negative relationship between fine root biomass and the temperature sum and a positive relationship between fine root biomass and the carbon:nitrogen ratio of the soil organic layer. The foliage:fine root ratio varied between 2.1 and 6.4 for Norway spruce and between 0.8 and 2.2 for Scots pine. The ratio decreased for both Norway spruce and Scots pine from south to north, as well as from fertile to more infertile site types. The foliage:fine root ratio of Norway spruce was related to basal area and stem surface area. The strong positive correlations of these three parameters with fine root nitrogen concentration implies that more fine roots are needed to maintain a certain amount of foliage when nutrient availability is low. No significant relationships were found between stand parameters and fine root biomass at the stand level, but the relationships considerably improved when both fine root biomass and stand parameters were calculated for the mean tree in the stand. When the northern and southern sites were analyzed separately, fine root biomass per tree of both species was significantly correlated with basal area and stem surface area per tree. Basal area, stem surface area and stand density can be estimated accurately and easily. Thus, our results may have value in predicting fine root biomass at the tree and stand level in boreal Norway spruce and Scots pine forests.
Spatial distribution of fine roots at ploughed Norway spruce forest sites
Silva Fennica, 2007
We examined the spatial distribution of fine roots at two forest sites that were ploughed 20 (site K1) and 33 years (site K2) before sampling and planted with Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) seedlings. Soil core samples were taken from the tilt and beneath the tilt, the furrow and the intermediate undisturbed soil to a depth of 0.4 m for fine root biomass, length and necromass determinations. Norway spruce fine roots were found throughout the ploughed forest sites. The fine roots were, however, unevenly distributed: the fine root biomass was highest in the tilt (624 and 452 gâm at sites K1 and K2, respectively) and lowest in the undisturbed soil at site K1 (79 gâm) and in the furrow at site K2 (145 gâm). The estimated average fine root biomass at the ploughed forest sites (268 and 248 gâm at sites K1 and K2, respectively) was, however, similar to those presented in other studies concerning sites that had not been ploughed. In the tilt, a substantial proportion of the...
Forest Systems
The horizontal and vertical distribution of live fine roots (diameter <2 mm) of overstory Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] and their influence on diameter and height growth of underplanted beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirb.] Franco) saplings were studied on experimental plots in the Soiling Mountains (Germany). The aims of this study were to investigate how overstory fine root density varies with stand density, and how it influences growth of the underplanted saplings to changes in belowground resources availability in connection with simultaneously changing light availability. Most fine roots were concentrated in the humus layer (more than 45%) and in the top mineral soil (0-5 cm, about 15%). Fine root biomass increases with overstory basal area and decreases with rising distance from the nearest overstory tree, reaching about zero within ca. 8 m distance. Over the whole two-year study period, light availability alone was the decisive...
Silva Gandavensis, 1998
Root length and root mass were studied in two different forest stands: an oak-beech and an ash stand, both in the 'Aelmoeseneie' experimental forest at Gontrode, Belgium. In the oak-beech stand, the length of the finest roots « 1 mm) was significantly higher than the length of the other diameter classes (1-2 and 2-5 mm) in the upper 60 cm of the mineral soil. Because of large variances, this significance could not be found in the ash forest. In this ash forest type, the length of the finest roots in the upper mineral soil layer (0-15 cm) was higher than all the other lengths, both considering the vertical root length distribution within the ash plot, and comparing the ash plot to the oak-beech stand. For the root mass, only the amount of roots with a diameter between 2 and 5 mm in the upper mineral soil layer of the ash plot was significantly higher than the others. SpecifiC root length (m rootlg D.M.) is calculated for both the oak-beech and the ash plot. These values can be used to convert biomass data into root length data, which gives a better indication of the water uptake capacity of the forest stand.
Forest Ecology and Management, 2000
This study was done to evaluate the impact of pure Norway spruce stands on physical soil properties of top soil in comparison to mixed species stands on comparable sites. It was hypothesized that the¯at root system of spruce causes soil compaction, which would have a negative impact on the soil aeration and hydraulic properties and consequently on seedbed quality, as well as early tree growth and seedling establishment. Hence, this topic is important for forest restoration, especially converting secondary pure spruce stands to mixed species stands. Forty-eight sites (24 pairs pure spruce stand/mixed species stand) of different stand development stages (mature stage, pole stage) were selected on two different bedrock materials (Molasse, Flysch). Undisturbed soil cores were taken from 0±4 and 4±8 cm soil depth and the following soil parameters were determined: (total) bulk density, remaining ®ne soil bulk density, dry masses of coarse fragments, roots and forest¯oor, organic carbon content, total soil pore volume as well as macropore volumes (after free drainage for 24 h and after water desorption at 10 kPa). The remaining ®ne soil bulk density was a useful parameter for characterization of the state of compactness. Pure spruce stands caused a lower bulk density of the upper mineral soil due to lifting and loosening of the soil above the root system. Results of calculated macropore volumes after water desorption at 10 kPa were exactly conform with those obtained for the remaining ®ne soil bulk density, indicating signi®cant differences for the grouping variables bedrock material and species composition. It is concluded from this study that changes of soil physical properties of the upper mineral soil (0±8 cm soil depth) by Norway spruce will not reduce germination and growth of mixed species trees. However, chemical and nutritional changes were not subject of this study, which are expected to limit the success of forest restoration. #