Welcome to visit Scientia Silvae Sinicae，Today is

Scientia Silvae Sinicae ›› 2013, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (10): 58-65.doi: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.20131010

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Root Growth of Quercus variabilis Seedlings in Response to the Environmental Heterogeneity

Ma Chuang, Zhang Wenhui, Wu Min, Ma Liwei, Zhou Jianyun, Xue Yaoqin   

  1. Key Laboratory of Environment and Ecology of Education Ministry in West China, Northwest A & F University Yangling 712100
  • Received:2013-01-14 Revised:2013-03-08 Online:2013-10-25 Published:2013-11-05

PDF (PC)

973

Abstract:

One-year-to four-year-old seedlings of Chinese cork oak (Quercus variabilis) were sampled in high, medium, and low altitudes in the northern slope of Qinling Mountains, Loess Plateau and the southern slope of Qinling Mountains. The morphology and dry weight of the seedlings roots were measured to investigate the effects of various environmental factors on the root growth. The results showed that the roots morphological parameters and dry weight decreased with the increasing latitude and altitude. The seedlings in the southern slope of Qinling Mountains had most number of lateral roots with diameter φ≤0.5 mm and the largest surface area and longest length. The seedlings in the low altitude of the northern slope of Qinling Mountains had the greatest number and largest surface area of lateral roots with diameter φ > 1 mm. The seedlings in the high altitude of northern slope of Qinling Mountains had relatively less root number, smaller surface area, shorter length and lighter weight of lateral roots, however their specific root length of lateral roots were greater than that in other sites. The morphology and weight of both seedling tap and lateral roots were the minimum value in Loess Plateau. Through the Principle Components Analysis (PCA), 10 environmental factors were reduced to the three principle components that interpreted 85.2% of variance of seedling growth. The annual temperature and accumulated temperature exerted stronger positive effect on the biomass accumulation of both tap and lateral roots. Phosphorus content in the soil was positively correlated with the specific root length and surface area of lateral roots, while the nitrogen content had significant positive effect on lateral root length. It is concluded that appropriate temperature favors the biomass accumulation of seedling roots, and higher contents of phosphorus and nitrogen are favorable to the growth of lateral roots.

Key words: Quercus variabilis seedlings, lateral root, root diameter, specific root length, principal component analysis (PCA), Pearson correlation analysis

CLC Number: