Biomass and selected morphological traits of fine roots in young pine stand growingon formerly arable land

Abstract

Abstract. The objective of the study was to estimate biomass and selected morphological traits of fine roots (diameter ≤ 2 mm) in 26-year-old Scots pine stand originating from afforestation and growing as the first forest generation on formerly arable land. The stand is located about 30 km north-east from Poznań (western Poland) in the Murowana Goślina Experimental Forest Division, which belongs to Poznań University of Life Sciences. 20 sample trees were selected. Within a distance of 30 cm from each tree intact soil cores were sampled from 3 depths in the soil: 0-20, 21-40 and 41-60 cm. The total number of samples was 120. All roots were separated from the soil, scanned, dried to constant mass and weighed. Fine root biomass and morphological traits (such as: length, surface area, volume and number of root tips) decreased with soil depth. The only exception was diameter, which increased with soil depth.