Shifting patterns in fine root distribution of four xerophytic species across soil structural gradients and years of growth
Abstract Fine root (diameter < 2 mm) distribution influences the potential for resource acquisition in soil profiles, which defines how plants interact with local soil environments; however, a deep understanding of how fine root vertical distribution varies with soil structural variations and acr...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2024-02-01
|
| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10889 |
| _version_ | 1797290933128003584 |
|---|---|
| author | Hui Hu Weikai Bao Long Huang Fanglan Li |
| author_facet | Hui Hu Weikai Bao Long Huang Fanglan Li |
| author_sort | Hui Hu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Fine root (diameter < 2 mm) distribution influences the potential for resource acquisition in soil profiles, which defines how plants interact with local soil environments; however, a deep understanding of how fine root vertical distribution varies with soil structural variations and across growth years is lacking. We subjected four xerophytic species native to an arid valley of China, Artemisia vestita, Bauhinia brachycarpa, Sophora davidii, and Cotinus szechuanensis, to increasing rock fragment content (RFC) treatments (0%, 25%, 50%, and 75%, v v−1) in an arid environment and measured fine root vertical profiles over 4 years of growth. Fine root depth and biomass of woody species increased with increasing RFC, but the extent of increase declined with growth years. Increasing RFC also increased the degree of interannual decreases in fine root diameter. The limited supply of soil resources in coarse soils explained the increases in rooting depth and variations in the pattern of fine root profiles across RFC. Fine root depth and biomass of the non‐woody species (A. vestita) in soil profiles decreased with the increase in RFC and growth years, showing an opposite pattern from the other three woody species. Within woody species, the annual increase in fine root biomass varied with RFC, which led to large interannual differences in the patterns of fine root profiles. Younger or non‐woody plants were more susceptible to soil environmental changes than the older or woody plants. These results reveal the limitations of dry and rocky environments on the growth of different plants, with woody and non‐woody plants adjusting their root vertical distribution through opposite pathways to cope with resource constraints, which has management implications for degraded agroforest ecosystems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:29:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f1614087bee84ee2a7ebeb51845ede5d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:29:27Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-f1614087bee84ee2a7ebeb51845ede5d2024-02-29T08:56:40ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582024-02-01142n/an/a10.1002/ece3.10889Shifting patterns in fine root distribution of four xerophytic species across soil structural gradients and years of growthHui Hu0Weikai Bao1Long Huang2Fanglan Li3Chengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu Sichuan ChinaChengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu Sichuan ChinaChengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu Sichuan ChinaChengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu Sichuan ChinaAbstract Fine root (diameter < 2 mm) distribution influences the potential for resource acquisition in soil profiles, which defines how plants interact with local soil environments; however, a deep understanding of how fine root vertical distribution varies with soil structural variations and across growth years is lacking. We subjected four xerophytic species native to an arid valley of China, Artemisia vestita, Bauhinia brachycarpa, Sophora davidii, and Cotinus szechuanensis, to increasing rock fragment content (RFC) treatments (0%, 25%, 50%, and 75%, v v−1) in an arid environment and measured fine root vertical profiles over 4 years of growth. Fine root depth and biomass of woody species increased with increasing RFC, but the extent of increase declined with growth years. Increasing RFC also increased the degree of interannual decreases in fine root diameter. The limited supply of soil resources in coarse soils explained the increases in rooting depth and variations in the pattern of fine root profiles across RFC. Fine root depth and biomass of the non‐woody species (A. vestita) in soil profiles decreased with the increase in RFC and growth years, showing an opposite pattern from the other three woody species. Within woody species, the annual increase in fine root biomass varied with RFC, which led to large interannual differences in the patterns of fine root profiles. Younger or non‐woody plants were more susceptible to soil environmental changes than the older or woody plants. These results reveal the limitations of dry and rocky environments on the growth of different plants, with woody and non‐woody plants adjusting their root vertical distribution through opposite pathways to cope with resource constraints, which has management implications for degraded agroforest ecosystems.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10889arid ecosystemfine root functional traitsroot depthrooting patternsoil structuretemporal dynamics |
| spellingShingle | Hui Hu Weikai Bao Long Huang Fanglan Li Shifting patterns in fine root distribution of four xerophytic species across soil structural gradients and years of growth Ecology and Evolution arid ecosystem fine root functional traits root depth rooting pattern soil structure temporal dynamics |
| title | Shifting patterns in fine root distribution of four xerophytic species across soil structural gradients and years of growth |
| title_full | Shifting patterns in fine root distribution of four xerophytic species across soil structural gradients and years of growth |
| title_fullStr | Shifting patterns in fine root distribution of four xerophytic species across soil structural gradients and years of growth |
| title_full_unstemmed | Shifting patterns in fine root distribution of four xerophytic species across soil structural gradients and years of growth |
| title_short | Shifting patterns in fine root distribution of four xerophytic species across soil structural gradients and years of growth |
| title_sort | shifting patterns in fine root distribution of four xerophytic species across soil structural gradients and years of growth |
| topic | arid ecosystem fine root functional traits root depth rooting pattern soil structure temporal dynamics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10889 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT huihu shiftingpatternsinfinerootdistributionoffourxerophyticspeciesacrosssoilstructuralgradientsandyearsofgrowth AT weikaibao shiftingpatternsinfinerootdistributionoffourxerophyticspeciesacrosssoilstructuralgradientsandyearsofgrowth AT longhuang shiftingpatternsinfinerootdistributionoffourxerophyticspeciesacrosssoilstructuralgradientsandyearsofgrowth AT fanglanli shiftingpatternsinfinerootdistributionoffourxerophyticspeciesacrosssoilstructuralgradientsandyearsofgrowth |