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. 2013;373(1-2):269-283.
doi: 10.1007/s11104-013-1778-x. Epub 2013 Jun 13.

Fine root biomass and turnover of two fast-growing poplar genotypes in a short-rotation coppice culture

Gonzalo Berhongaray  1 , I A Janssens  1 , J S King  2 , R Ceulemans  1
Affiliations

Fine root biomass and turnover of two fast-growing poplar genotypes in a short-rotation coppice culture

Gonzalo Berhongaray et al. Plant Soil. 2013.

Abstract

Background and aims: The quantification of root dynamics remains a major challenge in ecological research because root sampling is laborious and prone to error due to unavoidable disturbance of the delicate soil-root interface. The objective of the present study was to quantify the distribution of the biomass and turnover of roots of poplars (Populus) and associated understory vegetation during the second growing season of a high-density short rotation coppice culture.

Methods: Roots were manually picked from soil samples collected with a soil core from narrow (75 cm apart) and wide rows (150 cm apart) of the double-row planting system from two genetically contrasting poplar genotypes. Several methods of estimating root production and turnover were compared.

Results: Poplar fine root biomass was higher in the narrow rows than in the wide rows. In spite of genetic differences in above-ground biomass, annual fine root productivity was similar for both genotypes (ca. 44 g DM m-2 year-1). Weed root biomass was equally distributed over the ground surface, and root productivity was more than two times higher compared to poplar fine roots (ca. 109 g DM m-2 year-1).

Conclusions: Early in SRC plantation development, weeds result in significant root competition to the crop tree poplars, but may confer certain ecosystem services such as carbon input to soil and retention of available soil N until the trees fully occupy the site.

Keywords: Fine root biomass; Populus; Root production; Soil cores; Weeds.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Seasonal evolution (2011) of a number of meteorological parameters monitored on a mast at the field site. Air temperature (solid line), soil temperature (dashed line) and precipitation (grey bars) are shown during the entire year
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Seasonal evolution (2011) of the total root mass from poplars (filled symbols) and weeds (open symbols) in narrow (solid line) and wide rows (dotted line) for genotypes Koster (top panel) and Skado (lower panel). Each point represents the mean of ca. 10 samples. Bars above the mean represent the standard error for samples in the narrow rows, and bars below the mean data point for samples in the wide rows. An extra root sampling in January 2012 was included for genotype Skado
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Seasonal evolution (2011) of the root mass for different root diameter classes of poplar roots for genotypes Koster (top panel) and Skado (lower panel). Each line represents the mean evolution of 20 values. An extra root sampling in January 2012 was included for genotype Skado
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