NDLI: Understory fine roots are more ephemeral than those of trees in subtropical Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook) stands

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Huang, Jinxue Chen, Guangshui Yang, Zhijie Xiong, Decheng Guo, Jianfen Xie, Jinsheng Robinson, David Yang, Yusheng
Copyright Year	2016
Abstract	We tested the life span of fine roots of Chinese fir trees and understory plants in two stands in subtropical China. Fine roots from understory plants were much more ephemeral than those from trees. The life span of fine roots of understory plants and Chinese fir was shorter in the younger than in the older stand, although most of the factors affecting fine-root life spans were similar between trees and understory plants. Understory fine root can contribute significantly to total fine root biomass and belowground carbon.The contribution of understory vegetation to belowground carbon and nutrient cycling is often neglected in forest stands. Potential differences in fine-root life span between understory and trees remain poorly known. This study aimed to document fine-root life spans in trees and understory plants in two Chinese fir plantations with different ages.We measured fine-root (≤2 mm in diameter) life span for trees and understory vegetation in 16- and 88-year-old Chinese fir plantations in southern China during 4 years with minirhizotron. Factors controlling fine-root life spans were identified with Cox proportional hazards regression.Fine roots were more ephemeral in understory plants than in trees in the two plantations. Fine-root life spans for both trees and understory plants were longer in the older than in the younger plantation. Root diameter at appearance, rooting depth, and season of emergence had a significant effect on fine-root life span.These results highlight the importance of taking into account understory fine-root life span estimates when assessing the dynamics of fine-root recycling in Chinese fir forests.
Starting Page	657
Ending Page	667
Page Count	11
File Format	PDF
ISSN	12864560
Journal	Annals of Forest Science
Volume Number	73
Issue Number	3
e-ISSN	1297966X
Language	English
Publisher	Springer Paris
Publisher Date	2016-04-13
Publisher Institution	Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)
Publisher Place	Paris
Access Restriction	Subscribed
Subject Keyword	Fine-root Overstory tree Fine-root diameter Rooting depth Fine-root longevity Understory vegetation Forestry Wood Science & Technology Forestry Management Tree Biology Environment
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Ecology Forestry

Sl.	Authority	Responsibilities	Communication Details
1	Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education	Sanctioning Authority	https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives
2	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	Host Institute of the Project: The host institute of the project is responsible for providing infrastructure support and hosting the project	https://www.iitkgp.ac.in
3	National Digital Library of India Office, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	The administrative and infrastructural headquarters of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in
4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
5	Website/Portal (Helpdesk)	Queries regarding NDLI and its services	support@ndl.gov.in
6	Contents and Copyright Issues	Queries related to content curation and copyright issues	content@ndl.gov.in
7	National Digital Library of India Club (NDLI Club)	Queries related to NDLI Club formation, support, user awareness program, seminar/symposium, collaboration, social media, promotion, and outreach	clubsupport@ndl.gov.in
8	Digital Preservation Centre (DPC)	Assistance with digitizing and archiving copyright-free printed books	dpc@ndl.gov.in
9	IDR Setup or Support	Queries related to establishment and support of Institutional Digital Repository (IDR) and IDR workshops	idr@ndl.gov.in