Fine root biomass and morphology in a temperate forest are influenced more by canopy water addition than by canopy nitrogen addition

IntroductionIncreasing atmospheric N deposition and changes in precipitation patterns could profoundly impact forest community structure and ecosystem functions. However, most N and water (W) addition experiments have focused on direct N application to leaf litter or soil, neglecting canopy processe...

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書目詳細資料
發表在:Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Main Authors: Wen Li, Chuang Wang, Haowei Liu, Wenqian Wang, Ruomin Sun, Mengke Li, Yifei Shi, Dandan Zhu, Wenzhi Du, Lei Ma, Shenglei Fu
格式: Article
語言:英语
出版: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-03-01
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在線閱讀:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1132248/full
實物特徵
總結:IntroductionIncreasing atmospheric N deposition and changes in precipitation patterns could profoundly impact forest community structure and ecosystem functions. However, most N and water (W) addition experiments have focused on direct N application to leaf litter or soil, neglecting canopy processes such as leaf evaporation and absorption.MethodsIn this study, we aimed to assess the effects of atmospheric N deposition and increased precipitation on the fine root biomass and morphology of plants in a temperate deciduous forest. To achieve this, we applied N and W above the forest canopy and quantified the seasonal dynamics (January, July, and October) of fine root biomass and morphology.ResultsOur results revealed that only canopy W addition significantly increased the biomass of fine roots in January compared to that in other seasons (p < 0.05). We observed no significant interaction effect of N and W on fine root biomass. However, we found that the different growth seasons had a significant impact on the fine root biomass (p < 0.001). The combined application of N and W significantly affected the root tip density (p = 0.002). Although canopy N addition was significantly positively correlated with available soil N (p < 0.05), we detected no significant association with fine root biomass or morphology.DiscussionThe findings of this study indicated that fine root biomass and morphology, are affected to a greater extent by the provision of W than by N application. These findings provide a new perspective and a more precise understanding of the effects of the actual N deposition and precipitation on the dynamics of plant fine roots in forest ecosystems.
ISSN:2296-701X