Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Functional Plant Biology Functional Plant Biology Society
Plant function and evolutionary biology
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > FP > FP08195
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 36(1)

Estimating fine root longevity in a temperate Norway spruce forest using three independent methods

Dirk Gaul A , Dietrich Hertel A and Christoph Leuschner A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Plant Ecology, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, Untere Karspüle 2, University of Göttingen, D-37073 Göttingen, Germany.

B Corresponding author. Email: cleusch@gwdg.de

Functional Plant Biology 36(1) 11-19 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP08195
Submitted: 11 July 2008  Accepted: 18 October 2008   Published: 7 January 2009

Abstract

The importance of root systems for C cycling depends crucially on fine root longevity. We investigated mean values for fine root longevity with root diameter, root C/N ratio and soil depth using radiocarbon (14C) analyses in a temperate Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] forest. In addition, we applied sequential soil coring and minirhizotron observations to estimate fine root longevity in the organic layer of the same stand. The mean radiocarbon age of C in fine roots increased with depth from 5 years in the organic layer to 13 years in 40–60 cm mineral soil depth. Similarly, the C/N ratios of fine root samples were lowest in the organic layer with a mean value of 24 and increased with soil depth. Roots >0.5 mm in diameter tended to live longer than those being <0.5 mm in diameter. By far the strongest variability in fine root longevity estimates was due to the chosen method of investigation, with radiocarbon analyses yielding much higher estimates (5.4 years) than sequential soil coring (0.9 years) and minirhizotron observations (0.7 years). We conclude that sequential soil coring and minirhizotron observations are likely to underestimate mean fine root longevity, and radiocarbon analyses may lead to an overestimation of mean root longevity.

Additional keywords: fine root diameter, minirhizotrons, radiocarbon, root C/N ratio, root turnover, sequential coring.


Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) in the framework of the Research Group 562 ‘Soil processes under extreme meteorological conditions’. We thank Irmgard Gerstmann for supporting us during the fine root analyses. Egbert Matzner and Werner Borken coordinated the research group. Gerhard Müller, Uwe Hell and Andreas Kolb from Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER) provided technical assistance during installation and operation of the research plots. Radiocarbon analyses were conducted at the AMS facility of Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena (Germany); this technical support is gratefully acknowledged.


References


Aber JD, Melillo JM, Nadelhoffer KJ, McClaugherty CA, Pastor J (1985) Fine root turnover in forest ecosystems in relation to quantity and form of nitrogen availability: a comparison of two methods. Oecologia 66, 317–321.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Aerts R, Bakker C, de Caluwe H (1992) Root turnover as determinant of the cycling of C, N, and P in a dry heathland ecosystem. Biogeochemistry 15, 175–190.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Baddeley JA, Watson CA (2005) Influences of root diameter, tree age, soil depth and season on fine root survivorship in Prunus avium. Plant and Soil 276, 15–22.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Bauhus J, Bartsch N (1996) Fine-root growth in beech (Fagus sylvatica) forest gaps. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 26, 2153–2159.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Borken W, Kossmann G, Matzner E (2007) Biomass, morphology and nutrient contents of fine roots in four Norway spruce stands. Plant and Soil 292, 79–93.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Burchuladze AA, Chudy M, Eristavi IV, Pagava SV, Povinec P, Sivo A, Togonidze GI (1989) Anthropogenic 14C variations in atmospheric CO2 variations in atmospheric CO2 and wines. Radiocarbon 31, 771–776. open url image1

Comas LH, Anderson LJ, Dunst RM, Lakso AN, Eissenstat DM (2005) Canopy and environmental control of root dynamics in a long-term study of Concord grape. New Phytologist 167, 829–840.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | open url image1

Edwards NT, Harris WF (1977) Carbon cycling in a mixed deciduous forest floor. Ecology 58, 431–437.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Espeleta JF, Eissenstat DM, Graham JH (1999) Citrus root responses to localized drying soil: a new approach to studying mycorrhizal effects on the roots of mature trees. Plant and Soil 206, 1–10.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Foken T (2003) Lufthygienisch-Bioklimatische Kennzeichnung des oberen Egertales. Bayreuther Forum Ökologie 100, 1–118. open url image1

Gaudinski JB, Trumbore SE, Davidson EA, Cook AC, Markewitz D, Richter DD (2001) The age of fine-root carbon in three forests of the eastern United States measured by radiocarbon. Oecologia 129, 420–429. open url image1

Gaul D, Hertel D, Leuschner C (2008) Effects of experimental soil frost on the fine root system of mature Norway spruce. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 171, 690–698.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Gill RA, Jackson RB (2000) Global patterns of root turnover for terrestrial ecosystems. New Phytologist 147, 13–31.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Graefe S, Hertel D, Leuschner Ch (2008) Estimating fine root turnover in tropical forests along an elevational transect using minirhizotrons. Biotropica in press. , open url image1

Graham JH (1995) Root regeneration and tolerance of citrus rootstocks to root rot caused by Phytophthora nicotianae. Phytopathology 85, 111–117.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Guo D, Li H, Mitchell RJ, Han W, Hendricks JJ, Fahey TJ, Hendrick RL (2008) Fine root heterogeneity by branch order: exploring the discrepancy in root turnover estimates between minirhizotron and carbon isotopic methods. New Phytologist 172, 523–535. open url image1

Hendricks JJ, Hendrick RL, Wilson CA, Mitchell RJ, Pecot SD, Guo DL (2006) Assessing the patterns and controls of fine root dynamics: an empirical test and methodological review. Journal of Ecology 94, 40–57.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Hentschel K, Borken W, Matzner E (2007) Leaching losses of inorganic N and DOC following repeated drying and rewetting of a spruce forest soil. Plant and Soil 300, 21–34.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Hertel D (1999) ‘The fine root system of mixed stands of European beech: structure, dynamics and interspecific competition.’ (Cramer: Berlin) [In German]

Hertel D, Leuschner C (2002) A comparison of four different fine root production estimates with ecosystem carbon balance data in a Fagus–Quercus mixed forest. Plant and Soil 239, 237–251.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

IUSS Working Group, WRB (2002) World reference Base for Soil Resources 2006. World Soil Resource Reports, vol. 103. (FAO: Rome)

Jackson RB, Mooney HA, Schulze ED (1997) A global budget for fine root biomass, surface area, and nutrient contents. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 94, 7362–7366.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | open url image1

Joslin JD, Wolfe MH (1999) Disturbances during minirhizotron installation can affect root observation data. Soil Science Society of America Journal 63, 218–221.
|  CAS |
open url image1

Joslin JD, Gaudinski JB, Torn MS, Riley WJ, Hanson PJ (2006) Fine-root turnover patterns and their relationship to root diameter and soil depth in a 14C-labeled hardwood forest. New Phytologist 172, 523–535.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | open url image1

Kurz WA, Kimmins JP (1987) Analysis of some sources of error in methods used to determine fine root production in forest ecosystems: a simulation approach. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 17, 909–912.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Leuschner C, Hertel D (2003) Fine root biomass of temperate forests in relation to soil acidity and fertility, climate, age and species. Progress in Botany 64, 405–438. open url image1

Leuschner C, Backes K, Hertel D, Schipka F, Schmitt U, Terborg O, Runge M (2001) Drought responses at leaf, stem and fine root levels of competitive Fagus sylvatica L. and Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. trees in dry and wet years. Forest Ecology and Management 149, 33–46.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Levin I, Kromer B (1997) Twenty years of atmospheric 14CO2 observations at Schauinsland station, Germany. Radiocarbon 39, 205–218.
|  CAS |
open url image1

Levin I, Hammer S, Kromer B, Meinhardt F (2008) Radiocarbon observations in atmospheric CO2: determining fossil fuel CO2 over Europe using Jungfraujoch observations as background. The Science of the Total Environment 391, 211–216.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | open url image1

Luo YQ (2003) Uncertainties in interpretation of isotope signals for estimation of fine root longevity: theoretical considerations. Global Change Biology 9, 1118–1129.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Majdi H (1996) Root sampling methods – applications and limitations of the minirhizotron technique. Plant and Soil 185, 255–258.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Majdi H, Andersson P (2005) Fine root production and turnover in a Norway spruce stand in northern Sweden: effects of nitrogen and water manipulation. Ecosystems 8, 191–199.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Majdi H, Kangas P (1997) Demography of fine roots in response to nutrient applications in a Norway spruce stand in southwestern Sweden. Ecoscience 4, 199–205. open url image1

Majdi H, Damm E, Nylund J-E (2000) Longevity of mycorrhizal roots depends on branching order and nutrient availability. New Phytologist 150, 195–202.
| Crossref |
open url image1

Majdi H, Pregitzer KS, Moren AS, Nylund JE, Agren GI (2005) Measuring fine root turnover in forest ecosystems. Plant and Soil 276, 1–8.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Majdi H, Nylund JE, Agren GI (2007) Root respiration data and minirhizotron observations conflict with root turnover estimates from sequential soil coring. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 22, 299–303.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Matamala R, Gonzalez-Meler MA, Jastrow JD, Norby RJ, Schlesinger WH (2003) Impacts of fine root turnover on forest NPP and soil C sequestration potential. Science 302, 1385–1387.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | open url image1

McClaugherty CA, Aber JD, Melillo JM (1982) The role of fine roots in the organic-matter and nitrogen budgets of 2 forested ecosystems. Ecology 63, 1481–1490.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Persson H (1978) Root dynamics in a young Scots pine stand in Central Sweden. Oikos 30, 508–519.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Pregitzer KS, Hendrick RL, Fogel R (1993) The demography of fine roots in response to patches of water and nitrogen. New Phytologist 125, 575–580.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Pregitzer KS, Kubiske ME, Yu CK, Hendrick RL (1997) Relationships among roof branch order, carbon, and nitrogen in four temperate species. Oecologia 111, 302–308.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Pregitzer KS, Laskowski MJ, Burton AJ, Lessard VC, Zak DR (1998) Variation in sugar maple root respiration with root diameter and soil depth. Tree Physiology 18, 665–670.
| PubMed |
open url image1

Pregitzer KS, DeForest JL, Burton AJ, Allen MF, Ruess RW, Hendrick RL (2002) Fine root architecture of nine North American trees. Ecological Monographs 72, 293–309. open url image1

Pritchard SG, Strand AE (2008) Can you believe what you see? Reconciling minirhizotron and isotopic estimates of fine root longevity. New Phytologist 177, 287–291.
| PubMed |
open url image1

Publicover DA, Vogt KA (1993) A comparison of methods for estimating forest fine-root production with respect to sources of error. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 23, 1179–1186.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Schlesinger WH (1997) ‘Biogeochemistry. An analysis of global change.’ 2nd edn. (Academic Press: San Diego)

Schmid I, Kazda M (2002) Root distribution of Norway spruce in monospecific and mixed stands on different soils. Forest Ecology and Management 159, 37–47.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Singh JS, Lauenroth WK, Hunt HW, Swift DM (1984) Bias and random errors in estimators of net root production: a simulation approach. Ecology 65, 1760–1764.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Strand AE, Pritchard SG, McCormack ML, Davis MA, Oren R (2008) Irreconcilable differences: fine-root life spans and soil carbon persistence. Science 319, 456–458.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | open url image1

Tierney GL, Fahey TJ (2002) Fine root turnover in a northern hardwood forest: a direct comparison of the radiocarbon and minirhizotron methods. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 32, 1692–1697.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Tingey DT, Phillips DL, Johnson MG (2000) Elevated CO2 and conifer roots: effects on growth, life span and turnover. New Phytologist 147, 87–103.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Trumbore S, Da Costa ES, Nepstad DC, De Camargo PB, Martinelli LIZA, Ray D, Restom T, Silver W (2006) Dynamics of fine root carbon in Amazonian tropical ecosystems and the contribution of roots to soil respiration. Global Change Biology 12, 217–229.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Vogt KA, Vogt DJ, Bloomfield J (1998) Analysis of some direct and indirect methods for estimating root biomass and production of forests at an ecosystem level. Plant and Soil 200, 71–89.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Wells CE, Eissenstat DM (2001) Marked differences in survivorship among apple roots of different diameters. Ecology 82, 882–892. open url image1

Wells CE, Glenn DM, Eissenstat DM (2002) Changes in the risk of fine-root mortality with age: a case study in peach, Prunus persica (Rosaceae). American Journal of Botany 89, 79–87.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Withington JM, Reich PB, Oleksyn J, Eissenstat DM (2006) Comparisons of structure and life span in roots and leaves among temperate trees. Ecological Monographs 76, 381–397.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1