 |
| Titel |
Mean age of carbon in fine roots from temperate forests and grasslands with different management |
| VerfasserIn |
E. Solly, I. Schöning, S. Boch, J. Müller, S. A. Socher, S. E. Trumbore, M. Schrumpf |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
|
| Sprache |
Englisch
|
| ISSN |
1726-4170
|
| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Biogeosciences ; 10, no. 7 ; Nr. 10, no. 7 (2013-07-17), S.4833-4843 |
| Datensatznummer |
250018346
|
| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/bg-10-4833-2013.pdf |
|
|
|
|
|
| Zusammenfassung |
| Fine roots are the most dynamic portion of a plant's root system and a major
source of soil organic matter. By altering plant species diversity and
composition, soil conditions and nutrient availability, and consequently
belowground allocation and dynamics of root carbon (C) inputs, land-use and
management changes may influence organic C storage in terrestrial
ecosystems. In three German regions, we measured fine root radiocarbon
(14C) content to estimate the mean time since C in root tissues was
fixed from the atmosphere in 54 grassland and forest plots with different
management and soil conditions. Although root biomass was on average greater
in grasslands 5.1 ± 0.8 g (mean ± SE, n = 27) than in forests
3.1 ± 0.5 g (n = 27) (p < 0.05), the mean age of C in fine
roots in forests averaged 11.3 ± 1.8 yr and was older and more
variable compared to grasslands 1.7 ± 0.4 yr (p < 0.001). We
further found that management affects the mean age of fine root C in
temperate grasslands mediated by changes in plant species diversity and
composition. Fine root mean C age is positively correlated with plant
diversity (r = 0.65) and with the number of perennial species (r = 0.77). Fine
root mean C age in grasslands was also affected by study region with
averages of 0.7 ± 0.1 yr (n = 9) on mostly organic soils in northern
Germany and of 1.8 ± 0.3 yr (n = 9) and 2.6 ± 0.3 (n = 9) in
central and southern Germany (p < 0.05). This was probably due to
differences in soil nutrient contents and soil moisture conditions between
study regions, which affected plant species diversity and the presence of
perennial species. Our results indicate more long-lived roots or internal
redistribution of C in perennial species and suggest linkages between fine
root C age and management in grasslands. These findings improve our ability
to predict and model belowground C fluxes across broader spatial scales. |
| |
|
| Teil von |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|