Fine root growth dynamics of four Mojave Desert shrubs as related to soil moisture and microsite

Wilcox, Carolyn S.; Ferguson, Joseph W; Fernandez, George; Nowak, Robert S.

doi:10.1016/s0140-1963(02)00324-5

Cited by 82 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…However, other studies have also failed to detect a correlation (Fitter et al, 1999;Wilcox et al, 2004) and suggest that air and soil temperatures are only indirectly related to mortality. Natural seasonal cycles of temperature may confound the statistical detection of temperature effects: similar temperature regimes may result in different growth responses depending on the time of year as well as other environmental conditions.…”

Section: Other Factors Affecting Fine-root Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Temporal dynamics of fine roots under long‐term exposure to elevated CO₂ in the Mojave Desert

et al. 2013

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SummaryDeserts are considered 'below-ground dominated', yet little is known about the impact of rising CO 2 in combination with natural weather cycles on long-term dynamics of root biomass. This study quantifies the temporal dynamics of fine-root production, loss and standing crop in an intact desert ecosystem exposed to 10 yr of elevated CO 2 .We used monthly minirhizotron observations from 4 yr (2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007) for two dominant shrub species and along community transects at the Nevada Desert free-air CO 2 enrichment Facility. Data were synthesized within a Bayesian framework that included effects of CO 2 concentration, cover type, phenological period, antecedent soil water and biological inertia (i.e. the influence of prior root production and loss).Elevated CO 2 treatment interacted with antecedent soil moisture and had significantly greater effects on fine-root dynamics during certain phenological periods. With respect to biological inertia, plants under elevated CO 2 tended to initiate fine-root growth sooner and sustain growth longer, with the net effect of increasing the magnitude of production and mortality cycles.Elevated CO 2 interacts with past environmental (e.g. antecedent soil water) and biological (e.g. biological inertia) factors to affect fine-root dynamics, and such interactions are expected to be important for predicting future soil carbon pools.

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Section: Other Factors Affecting Fine-root Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Temporal dynamics of fine roots under long‐term exposure to elevated CO₂ in the Mojave Desert

et al. 2013

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“…Despite the endogenous cues, exogenous factors are important for controlling the fine root dynamics and the effects of exogenous factors on fine root dynamics have been received increasingly attention because of the expected climate changes (Kitajima et al 2010). Previous studies have correlated fine root production with water regimes in water-limited shrublands (Peek et al 2005;Palacio and Montserrat-Martí 2007;Padilla et al 2015), and the effects of the soil moisture on the fine root dynamics have been reported to be species specific (Wilcox et al 2004). Shading is another exogenous factor regulating fine root dynamics because root growth and turnover are correlated with photosynthetically active radiation (Fitter et al 1998;Fitter et al 1999;Volder et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response of the fine root production, phenology, and turnover rate of six shrub species from a subtropical forest to a soil moisture gradient and shading

Wang

et al. 2015

Plant Soil

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Background and aims Knowledge of the fine root dynamics of different life forms in forest ecosystems is critical to understanding how the overall belowground carbon cycling is affected by climate change. However, our current knowledge regarding how endogenous or exogenous factors regulate the root dynamics of understory vegetation is limited. The aims of this study were to test the effects of soil moisture gradient and shading on the fine root production, phenology, and turnover rate of six shrub species from a subtropical forest. Methods We selected a suite of study sites representing different habitats with gradients of soil moisture and solar radiation (shading or no shading). We assessed the fine root production phenology, the total fine root production, and the turnover among six understory shrub species in a subtropical climate, and examined the responses of the fine root dynamics to gradients in the soil moisture and solar radiation. The shrubs included three evergreen species, Loropetalum chinense, Vaccinium bracteatum, and Adinandra millettii, and three deciduous species, Serissa serissoides, Rubus corchorifolius, and Lespedeza davidii. Results We observed that variations in the annual fine root production and turnover among species were significant in the deciduous group but not in the evergreen group. Notably, V. bracteatum and S. serissoides presented the greatest responses in terms of root phenology to gradients in the soil moisture and shading: high-moisture habitat led to a decrease and shade led to an increase in fine root production during spring. Species with smaller fine roots of the 1 st +2 nd -order diameter presented more sensitive responses in terms of fine root phenology to a soil moisture gradient. Species with a lower fine root carbon-to nitrogen ratio exhibited more sensitive responses in terms of fine root annual production to shading. Soil moisture and shading did not change the annual fine root production as much as the turnover rate. Conclusions The fine root dynamics of some understory shrubs varied significantly with soil moisture and solar radiation status and may be different from tree species. Our results emphasize the need to study the understory fine root dynamics in the achievement of a complete understanding of the overall belowground carbon cycling in a forest ecosystem, particularly ecosystems in which the understory fine root highly contributes to the belowground biomass.

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“…Fine root growth and the distribution of trees and grasses are directly related to the amount of resources available to them, especially in competitive situations (Wilcox et al, 2004;Schenk, 2006;Kalliokoski et al, 2010). All of these studies support Fowler's (1986) hypothesis that competition is a relatively frequent plantplant interaction in arid and semiarid plant communities.…”

Section: Fine Root Production and Belowground Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 55%

Fine root distribution and belowground interactions in an alley silvopasture system in northern China

Lai¹,

Zhang²,

Wu³

et al. 2014

Turk J Agric For

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Successful agroforestry management depends on the interactions between the mixed species. Belowground interactions between shrubs and native grasses are complicated and poorly understood in China's agroforestry practice, especially in the silvopasture systems of droughty northern China. The distribution of fine roots (<2 mm) in an alley silvopasture system consisting of Caragana microphylla Lam. and local grasses was compared to those in a degraded pasture plot using soil cores. Fine root production was examined in these plots using ingrowth cores. We found that the introduction of C. microphylla did not change the vertical distribution pattern of fine roots of grassy plants but had a great impact on belowground production in the ecosystem. Grass fine roots decreased with depth in both the silvopasture system and the degraded pasture. Grass fine roots were mostly distributed in the top 40 cm of the soil, but they extended to deeper soil layers through root elongation. C. microphylla, in contrast, occupied the deeper soil layer, in which water was continuously available. We conclude that the belowground interactions between native grasses and C. microphylla in sandy soil can be explained by Walter's 2-layer hypothesis, which is used to explain the coexistence of trees and grasses. Our results draw attention to the interspecific configuration of the silvopasture system and belowground interactions of plants in semiarid and arid regions.

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Fine root growth dynamics of four Mojave Desert shrubs as related to soil moisture and microsite

Cited by 82 publications

References 62 publications

Temporal dynamics of fine roots under long‐term exposure to elevated CO₂ in the Mojave Desert

Temporal dynamics of fine roots under long‐term exposure to elevated CO₂ in the Mojave Desert

Response of the fine root production, phenology, and turnover rate of six shrub species from a subtropical forest to a soil moisture gradient and shading

Fine root distribution and belowground interactions in an alley silvopasture system in northern China

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Fine root growth dynamics of four Mojave Desert shrubs as related to soil moisture and microsite

Cited by 82 publications

References 62 publications

Temporal dynamics of fine roots under long‐term exposure to elevated CO2 in the Mojave Desert

Temporal dynamics of fine roots under long‐term exposure to elevated CO2 in the Mojave Desert

Response of the fine root production, phenology, and turnover rate of six shrub species from a subtropical forest to a soil moisture gradient and shading

Fine root distribution and belowground interactions in an alley silvopasture system in northern China

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Temporal dynamics of fine roots under long‐term exposure to elevated CO₂ in the Mojave Desert

Temporal dynamics of fine roots under long‐term exposure to elevated CO₂ in the Mojave Desert