Fine and coarse root parameters from mature black spruce displaying genetic × soil moisture interaction in growth

• Published in: Canadian journal of forest research Vol. 42; no. 11; pp. 1926 - 1938
• Main Authors: Major, John E, Kurt H. Johnsen, Debby C. Barsi, Moira Campbell
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ottawa NRC Research Press 01.11.2012; Canadian Science Publishing NRC Research Press
• Subjects: Biomass; Drought; Drought resistance; drought tolerance; fine roots; Foliage; Forest management; Forest soils; leaves; Moisture; Moisture stress; nitrogen content; Picea mariana; root systems; Roots; Soil depth; Soil moisture; soil water; Wetlands
• ISSN: 1208-6037; 0045-5067; 1208-6037
• DOI: 10.1139/x2012-144

Fine and coarse root biomass, C, and N mass parameters were assessed by root size and soil depths from soil cores in plots of 32-year-old black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.) from four full-sib families studied previously for drought tolerance and differential productivity on a dry and wet site. All fine and coarse root size categories had greater root biomass on the dry than on the wet site. Most of the site differences resided in 0–20 cm soil depth. The wet site had greater root N concentration than the dry site, despite the same soil N; thus, virtually no differences were observed in total fine and coarse root N mass between sites. Root N concentration declined with increases in both soil depth and root size. Fine roots (<2 mm) accounted for 73% and 38% of the total fine and coarse N and C mass, respectively. The dry site had lower needle mass and more fine root mass than the wet site, demonstrating an adaptation to moisture stress change through the rebalancing of resource-obtaining organs. Drought-tolerant families had the same quantity of fine roots as drought-intolerant families but were able to support more foliage and aboveground mass per unit fine root mass than intolerant families.