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Scientia Silvae Sinicae ›› 2019, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (10): 124-137.doi: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.20191013

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Response of Fine Roots to Soil Moisture of Different Gradients in Young Populus tomentosa Plantation

Songyan Zou1,Doudou Li1,Jinsong Wang2,Nan Di3,Jinqiang Liu1,Ye Wang4,Guangde Li5,Jie Duan1,Liming Jia1,Benye Xi1,*   

  1. 1. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Silviculture and Conservation, Beijing Forestry University Beijing 100083
    2. Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100101
    3. College of Ecology and Environment Science, Inner Mongolia University Hohhot 010021
    4. Institute of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing Academy of Forestry and Pomology Beijing 100093
    5. Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Medicine, the Open University of China Beijing 100039
  • Received:2019-02-20 Online:2019-10-25 Published:2019-11-26
  • Contact: Benye Xi
  • Supported by:
    北京林业大学中央高校基本科研业务费用专项资金项目(2018ZY26);国家自然科学基金(31872702);国家自然科学基金(31670625);国家自然科学基金(31400532);国家重点研发计划课题(2016YFD0600403);"十二五"国家科技支撑计划(2015BAD09B02)

Abstract:

Objective: Clarifying the short-term response of fine roots to soil water gradient in the P. tomentosa plantation, to have a better understanding of the ecological adaption strategy of its roots to soil moisture and provides theoretical basis for the optimization of its artificial forest moisture management strategy. Method: Three irrigation treatments were set in a two-year-old P. tomentosa stand planted in sandy loam, i.e. full irrigation (FI), controlled irrigation (CI), and control (CK). After 2 months of irrigation, root sampling down to 150 cm depth was conducted in each treatment using the soil core method. Through the measurement of root samples, root growth, distribution and morphology data in each treatment, soil depth and horizontal distance were obtained.Result: Vertically, in each soil layer, there is no significant difference in fine root biomass density (FRBD) among treatments (P>0.05). In the whole root zone and the area with a large difference in moisture in shallow soil layer among treatments, the distribution depth of fine root showed a trend of CK > CI > FI. However, this trend was not obvious in the area with less difference in soil water content. Horizontally, FRBD in the CK decreased gradually with the increase of the distance from trees, but this trend was very weak in FI and CI treatments. There was no significant difference of FRBD among treatments at each horizontal distance (P>0.05), except for the distance of 30 cm from tree, where FRBD of CK was significantly higher than that of FI and CI treatments (P < 0.05). On a two-dimensional scale, fine root distribution tended to be shallower with the increasing distance from tree. Under irrigations, fine roots mainly concentrated in the shallow soil layers at both sides of the dripper, while the majority of fine roots in the CK distributed in the relatively deeper soil layers close to the tree. For each soil layer within 0-50 cm, no significant difference in fine root morphology was found among treatments (P>0.05). Both the variation of the total fine root biomass and length among the treatments followed an order of CK > FI > CI. Objective: In conclusion, when a short-term moisture difference occurred in the shallow soil layers, 1) the fine roots of P. tomentosa distributed deeper and tended to concentrate closer to the tree with the aggravation of drought stress, 2) P. tomentosa preferentially adjusted the fine root distribution rather than the fine root morphology in the shallow soil layer to adapt to soil water stress, 3) as to the total amount of fine roots, P. tomentosa adopted a regulation strategy of slight decrease at first and subsequently distinct increase. High frequency irrigation should be applied to two-year-old P. tomentosa stand in dry season.

Key words: Populus tomentosa, soil moisture, fine root biomass, fine root distribution, fine root morphology

CLC Number: