The relationship between fine root demography and the soil environment in northern hardwood forests

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-1997

Abstract

We used minirhizotrons to measure growing-season fine root dynamics at 0-30 and 50-100 cm depths in two northern hardwoods forests. Concomitant measurements of several soil and site environmental variables were also made. We then used regression models to quantify the relationships between these environmental variables and fine root demography. Generally, environmental factors had a moderate effect on broad, inherent phenological patterns of root activity and abundance. For example, both shallow fine root length density and potential evapotranspiration reached their maximum in mid-summer, but the relationship between the two was not strong at either site (R2 = 0.12). Deep root length density was not significantly related to any measured environmental factor. Periods of high water demand during which soil moisture was also abundant (i.e., late spring and early summer) were related to increased shallow root production. Root length mortality was low at these times, but the correlation with soil moisture was statistically significant only in the shallow depth increment. Quantifying the relative importance of the environment on root growth in large field studies like ours is complicated by a number of factors. These include the difficulty of intensive sampling, interactive effects of environmental factors, and the uncertainty of encountering environmental conditions sufficiently severe to elicit a measurable root response during the study period.

Publication Title

Ecoscience

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