scholarly journals Root System Distribution Influences Substrate Moisture Measurements in Containerized Ornamental Tree Species

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 754-759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taryn L. Bauerle ◽  
William L. Bauerle ◽  
Marc Goebel ◽  
David M. Barnard
Keyword(s):  
Root System ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Root Distribution ◽  
Fine Root ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Specific Root Length ◽  
Root Systems ◽  
Moisture Sensor ◽  
Substrate Moisture ◽  
Moisture Variability

Substrate moisture sensors offer an affordable monitoring system for containerized tree production. However, root system distribution can vary greatly among species within ornamental container production systems, resulting in variation within substrate readings among sensors within a container. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of substrate moisture sensor readings in six ornamental trees to their root distribution patterns within a container. Following root anatomical analysis, tree root systems were dissected by root order as a means to separate fine (uptake) roots and coarse (transport) roots. Substrate moisture variability was measured through the deployment of 12 substrate moisture sensors per container. Of the tree species studied, we found the following two patterns of root distribution: a shallow, “conical-shaped,” root system, with the broadest portion of the root system in the shallow soil layer, and a more evenly distributed “cylindrical-shaped” root system. Root system distribution type influenced substrate moisture reading variability. Conical root systems had lower substrate moisture variability and high fine root variability, whereas the opposite was true for cylindrical root systems—most likely due to the larger, coarse woody mass of roots. We were unable to find any correlations between fine root morphological features including root diameter, length, or surface area and substrate moisture variability. However, higher specific root length was associated with higher substrate moisture variability. Classifying a tree’s root system by its growth and distribution within a container can account for variation in substrate moisture readings and help inform future decisions on sensor placement within containerized systems.

scholarly journals Assessment of Root System Development among Four Ornamental Tree Species through Time via X-ray Computed Tomography

HortScience ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taryn L. Bauerle ◽  
Michela Centinari
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Root System ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Root Distribution ◽  
Root Systems ◽  
Root Diameter ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Ornamental Tree ◽  
X Ray Computed ◽  
Space Occupation

Tree root systems are inherently dynamic in their distribution within a soil volume. Analysis of tree root system space occupation through time can improve not only our implicit understanding of a virtually hidden portion of a plant, but influence future management decisions through a more thorough understanding of root placement within a soil volume. We compared root standing crop populations of four ornamental tree species including Acer rubrum L. ‘Franksred’ (Acer), Carpinus betula L. ‘Columnaris’ (Carpinus), Gleditsia tricanthos L. var. inermis ‘Skycole’ (Gleditsia), and Quercus rubra L. ‘Rubrum’ (Quercus) grown in a nursery mix substrate within large 57-L containers using an X-ray computed tomography (CT) approach through time. Individual root identification was performed manually on two-dimensional slices of CT scans. Our data show high variation in species total root number through time with Carpinus exhibiting the largest root population throughout the study period. However, species exhibited differences in root distribution patterns as exemplified by the shallow and horizontally more uniform rooting pattern of Acer in comparison with the highly plastic root distribution in space through time in Gleditsia. Root frequencies within 1-mm root diameter class distributions shifted by species with the most drastic differences found between high frequencies of relatively small diameter roots in Acer vs. pronounced shifts in dominate root diameter size class as found in Gleditsia and lesser so in Carpinus during a growing season. Our findings demonstrate differences in whole tree root systems space occupation non-destructively through time and highlight a disparity in how species fill a container volume during growth.

Towards the consideration of soil-root resistances in root water uptake models with macroscopic representations of hydraulic root architecture

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Vanderborght ◽  
Valentin Couvreur ◽  
Felicien Meunier ◽  
Andrea Schnepf ◽  
Harry Vereecken ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Root System ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Root Distribution ◽  
Root Architecture ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Root Water Uptake ◽  
Hydraulic Architecture ◽  
Root Segments ◽  
Soil Volume

<p>Plant water uptake from soil is an important component of terrestrial water cycle with strong links to the carbon cycle and the land surface energy budget. To simulate the relation between soil water content, root distribution, and root water uptake, models should represent the hydraulics of the soil-root system and describe the flow from the soil towards root segments and within the 3D root system architecture according to hydraulic principles. We have recently demonstrated how macroscopic relations that describe the lumped water uptake by all root segments in a certain soil volume, e.g. in a thin horizontal soil layer in which soil water potentials are uniform, can be derived from the hydraulic properties of the 3D root architecture. The flow equations within the root system can be scaled up exactly and the total root water uptake from a soil volume depends on only two macroscopic characteristics of the root system: the root system conductance, K<sub>rs</sub>, and the uptake distribution from the soil when soil water potentials in the soil are uniform, <strong>SUF</strong>. When a simple root hydraulic architecture was assumed, these two characteristics were sufficient to describe root water uptake from profiles with a non-uniform water distribution. This simplification gave accurate results when root characteristics were calculated directly from the root hydraulic architecture. In a next step, we investigate how the resistance to flow in the soil surrounding the root can be considered in a macroscopic root water uptake model. We specifically investigate whether the macroscopic representation of the flow in the root architecture, which predicts an effective xylem water potential at a certain soil depth, can be coupled with a model that describes the transfer from the soil to the root using a simplified representation of the root distribution in a certain soil layer, i.e. assuming a uniform root distribution.</p>

scholarly journals Relationship between Very Fine Root Distribution and Soil Water Content in Pre- and Post-Harvest Areas of Two Coniferous Tree Species

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1227
Author(s):  
Moein Farahnak ◽  
Keiji Mitsuyasu ◽  
Takuo Hishi ◽  
Ayumi Katayama ◽  
Masaaki Chiwa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Root System ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Fine Roots ◽  
Fine Root ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Tree Cutting ◽  
Coniferous Tree Species

Tree root system development alters forest soil properties, and differences in root diameter frequency and root length per soil volume reflect differences in root system function. In this study, the relationship between vertical distribution of very fine root and soil water content was investigated in intact tree and cut tree areas. The vertical distribution of root density with different diameter classes (very fine <0.5 mm and fine 0.5–2.0 mm) and soil water content were examined along a slope with two coniferous tree species, Cryptomeria japonica (L.f.) D. Don and Chamaecyparis obtusa (Siebold et Zucc.) Endl. The root biomass and length density of very fine roots at soil depth of 0–5 cm were higher in the Ch. obtusa intact tree plot than in the Cr. japonica intact plot. Tree cutting caused a reduction in the biomass and length of very fine roots at 0–5 cm soil depth, and an increment in soil water content at 5–30 cm soil depth of the Ch. obtusa cut tree plot one year after cutting. However, very fine root density of the Cr. japonica intact tree plot was quite low and the soil water content in post-harvest areas did not change. The increase in soil water content at 5–30 cm soil depth of the Ch. obtusa cut tree plot could be caused by the decrease in very fine roots at 0–5 cm soil depth. These results suggest that the distribution of soil water content was changed after tree cutting of Ch. obtusa by the channels generated by the decay of very fine roots. It was also shown that differences in root system characteristics among different tree species affect soil water properties after cutting.

scholarly journals The root system of the husk tomato (Physalis ixocarpa Brot.)

2013 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 367-383
Author(s):  
Juan Mulato Brito ◽  
Leszek S. Jankiewicz ◽  
Victor M. Fernández Orduňa ◽  
Francisco Cartujano Escobar
Keyword(s):  
Root System ◽  
Quantitative Estimation ◽  
Lateral Roots ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Root Systems ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Central Axis ◽  
Temperate Climate ◽  
Small Roots ◽  
Husk Tomato

The husk tomato (<i>Physalis ixocarpa</i> Brot.) is widely cultivated in central Mexico, and may be grown in countries with a temperate climate. The experiment was set up during the dry period of the year (average weekly temperature 17-22°C) in the State of Morelos, Mexico, using the cv. 'Rendidora' in loamy clay soil and furrow irrigation. The roots were investigated by the pinboard method modified by Garcia Blancas and Grajeda Gómez (in print), partly adapted by us for quantitative estimation of root systems. Two plants were investigated every second week. They had a well developed tap root. Most of their lateral roots were found in the superficial soil layer, 0-20 cm. The root dry mass was also concentrated near the central axis of the plant. The majority of root apices were, however, found in the soil cylinders 10-40 em from the central axis. During the senescence of the aerial part (14th week after emergence) the root system lost a large part of its small roots. The modification of the pinboard method, by Garcia Blancas and Grajeda Gómez (in print) permited us investigating the root systems with very simple tools, in situ.

scholarly journals Combined tillage with elements of Strip-till technology for maize in the Ciscaucasian zone

2021 ◽  
Vol 344 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-59
Author(s):  
Yu. A. Kuzychenko ◽  
R. G. Gadzhiumarov ◽  
A. N. Dzhandarov
Keyword(s):  
Root System ◽  
Lower Cost ◽  
Functional Dependence ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Root Systems ◽  
Soil Density ◽  
Combined Method ◽  
Spring Period ◽  
Intensity Of Development ◽  
Degree Of Filling

Relevance. The combined method of the main tillage, using certain methods of influence on the cultivated layer, forms a certain soil density. During the growing season of corn for grain, this indicator changes depending on the seasonal soil moisture and the intensity of the development of the root system of the plant, which is ultimately related to the yield of the crop. Material and method. The objects of research are two systems of basic tillage for corn for grain according to the predecessor winter wheat in the zone of unstable moisture of the Stavropol Territory using a dump and a combined method of basic tillage with elements of Strip-till technology. Soil: southern calcareous chernozem, slightly humus. The functional dependence of soil density on the supply of productive moisture and the intensity of development of the root system of grain corn was established by the method of the theory of dimensions. The method of fractal geometry was used to determine the degree of filling the soil space with root systems of grain corn under various systems of basic tillage.Results and Conclusions. It was found that the density of the soil is in direct functional dependence on the supply of productive moisture in the cultivated soil layer and the intensity of development of plant roots. The soil density during the seeding and flowering periods is higher by the Strip-till technology in comparison with the traditional one on average over the years by 0.02 g / cm3 and 0.03 g / cm3, respectively, and the moisture reserve in the spring period with Strip-till is 12 mm. The intensity of development of the root system according to the indicator D with the Strip-till system (1.58) by 0.31 units, more than with recommended processing (D = 1.27). The yield of corn for grain using the Strip-till technology is on average 0.22 t / g higher than with the recommended one, at a lower cost by 2395 rubles / ha.

scholarly journals Root Distribution and Its Impacts on the Drought Tolerance Capacity of Hybrid Rice in the Sichuan Basin Area of China

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuechun Wang ◽  
Naseem Samo ◽  
Lamei Li ◽  
Mengran Wang ◽  
Muslim Qadir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drought Stress ◽  
Drought Tolerance ◽  
Root System ◽  
Root Distribution ◽  
Hybrid Rice ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Tolerance Index ◽  
Deep Soil ◽  
Rice Varieties ◽  
Major Factors

Drought is one of the major factors limiting rice yield worldwide. A total of 46 hybrid rice varieties were chosen to investigate their root distribution and their response to drought. A field experiment was carried out in a dry shed building to evaluate the drought tolerance capacity of hybrid rice varieties on the basis of CTIRDE (complex tolerance index of rice under drought environment) values. Next, the experiment was conducted in a specially designed pot system and seed bags to analyze the root distribution and activity of antioxidant enzymes in different rice varieties. Moreover, the DEEPER ROOTING 1 (DRO1) gene was sequenced to elucidate its role in the root distribution of typical rice varieties. On the basis of CTIRDE values, the 46 hybrid rice varieties were classified as tolerant (CTIRDE ≥ 0.75), semi-tolerant (0.75 > CTIRDE > 0.65), or sensitive (CTIRDE ≤ 0.65) to drought stress. The tolerant varieties (Chuanguyou208 and Deyou4727) displayed a significantly larger length, had higher number and weight of roots in the 30–50 cm soil layer, and exhibited a significantly higher activity of Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Peroxidase (POD) enzymes in roots during the drought stress period. The DRO1 gene sequencing results revealed that the tolerant and sensitive varieties exhibited a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the 3-exon region, and the tolerant varieties (Chuanguyou208 and Deyou4727) exhibited a larger root growth angle with the horizontal axis, hence developing a deeper root system as compared with the other two group varieties. A significant correlation was found not only between the DRO1 gene and root distribution but also between DRO1 and the activity of SOD and POD enzymes. Conclusively, as a key feature, a deep root system enabled tolerant rice varieties (Chuanguyou208 and Deyou4727) to avoid drought stress by absorbing more water stored in deep soil layers. The root distribution, activity of POD and SOD enzymes in roots, and DRO1 gene can be used to screen tolerant rice varieties that can survive better under drought stress during the seedling stage of rice growth.

Carbon allocation to the root system of tropical tree Ceiba pentandra using 13C pulse labelling in an aeroponic facility

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 350-366
Author(s):  
Neringa Mannerheim ◽  
Carola H Blessing ◽  
Israel Oren ◽  
José M Grünzweig ◽  
Christoph Bachofen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Root System ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Root Systems ◽  
Tropical Tree ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Sink Strength ◽  
Pulse Labelling ◽  
Tropical Tree Species ◽  
Ceiba Pentandra

Abstract Despite the important role of tropical forest ecosystems in the uptake and storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), the carbon (C) dynamics of tropical tree species remains poorly understood, especially regarding belowground roots. This study assessed the allocation of newly assimilated C in the fast-growing pioneer tropical tree species Ceiba pentandra (L.), with a special focus on different root categories. During a 5-day pulse-labelling experiment, 9-month-old (~3.5-m-tall) saplings were labelled with 13CO2 in a large-scale aeroponic facility, which allowed tracing the label in bulk biomass and in non-structural carbohydrates (sugars and starch) as well as respiratory CO2 from the canopy to the root system, including both woody and non-woody roots. A combined logistic and exponential model was used to evaluate 13C mean transfer time and mean residence time (MRT) to the root systems. We found 13C in the root phloem as early as 2 h after the labelling, indicating a mean C transfer velocity of 2.4 ± 0.1 m h−1. Five days after pulse labelling, 27% of the tracers taken up by the trees were found in the leaves and 13% were recovered in the woody tissue of the trunk, 6% in the bark and 2% in the root systems, while 52% were lost, most likely by respiration and exudation. Larger amounts of 13C were found in root sugars than in starch, the former also demonstrating shorter MRT than starch. Of all investigated root categories, non-woody white roots (NRW) showed the largest 13C enrichment and peaked in the deepest NRW (2–3.5 m) as early as 24 ± 2 h after labelling. In contrast to coarse woody brown roots, the sink strength of NRW increased with root depth. The findings of this study improve the understanding of C allocation in young tropical trees and provide unique insights into the changing contributions of woody and non-woody roots to C sink strengths with depth.

scholarly journals Effects of Summer Drought on the Fine Root System of Five Broadleaf Tree Species along a Precipitation Gradient

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 289
Author(s):  
Sebastian Fuchs ◽  
Dietrich Hertel ◽  
Bernhard Schuldt ◽  
Christoph Leuschner
Keyword(s):  
Root System ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Fine Root ◽  
Summer Drought ◽  
Precipitation Gradient ◽  
Dry Period ◽  
Water Deficits ◽  
Drought Sensitivity ◽  
Broadleaf Tree

While much research has addressed the aboveground response of trees to climate warming and related water shortage, not much is known about the drought sensitivity of the fine root system, in particular of mature trees. This study investigates the response of topsoil (0–10 cm) fine root biomass (FRB), necromass (FRN), and fine root morphology of five temperate broadleaf tree species (Acer platanoides L., Carpinus betulus L., Fraxinus excelsior L., Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl., Tilia cordata Mill.) to a reduction in water availability, combining a precipitation gradient study (nine study sites; mean annual precipitation (MAP): 920–530 mm year−1) with the comparison of a moist period (average spring conditions) and an exceptionally dry period in the summer of the subsequent year. The extent of the root necromass/biomass (N/B) ratio increase was used as a measure of the species’ belowground sensitivity to water deficits. We hypothesized that the N/B ratio increases with long-term (precipitation gradient) and short-term reductions (moist vs. dry period) of water availability, while FRB changes only a little. In four of the five species (exception: A. platanoides), FRB did not change with a reduction in MAP, whereas FRN and N/B ratio increased toward the dry sites under ample water supply (exception: Q. petraea). Q. petraea was also the only species not to reduce root tip frequency after summer drought. Different slopes of the N/B ratio-MAP relation similarly point at a lower belowground drought sensitivity of Q. petraea than of the other species. After summer drought, all species lost the MAP dependence of the N/B ratio. Thus, fine root mortality increased more at the moister than the drier sites, suggesting a generally lower belowground drought sensitivity of the drier stands. We conclude that the five species differ in their belowground drought response. Q. petraea follows the most conservative soil exploration strategy with a generally smaller FRB and more drought-tolerant fine roots, as it maintains relatively constant FRB, FRN, and morphology across spatial and temporal dimensions of soil water deficits.

scholarly journals Reverse conductivity for water transport and related anatomy in fine roots of six temperate tree species – a potential limitation for hydraulic redistribution

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Hesse ◽  
Thorsten Grams ◽  
Benjamin Hafner
Keyword(s):  
Water Potential ◽  
Root System ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Fine Roots ◽  
Fine Root ◽  
Reverse Flow ◽  
Root Anatomy ◽  
Hydraulic Redistribution ◽  
Acer Pseudoplatanus ◽  
Secondary Roots

Hydraulic redistribution (HR), the passive reallocation of water along plant structures following a water potential gradient, is an important mechanism for plant survival under drought. For example, trees with deeper roots reallocate water from deeper moist to shallower, drier soil layers sustaining their upper fine root system. The relevance of HR for temperate forest ecosystems is hardly investigated. Both environmental and tree internal factors limiting the capacity for HR, such as low water potential gradients or root anatomy, respectively, are not well understood. Here we investigate fine root anatomy and related capacity for reverse flow of water of six temperate tree species, i.e. Acer pseudoplatanus, Castanea sativa, Fagus sylvatica, Picea abies, Pseudotsuga menziesii and Quercus robur both in forward and reverse flow direction. Additionally, anatomy of primary and secondary roots was analyzed, to test the hypotheses that root anatomy is similar in primary and secondary roots (H1) and conductivity for forward and reverse flow of water in fine roots is identical (H2). In contrast to the two gymnosperm species, most anatomical parameters, e.g. hydraulic conduit diameter and conduit density, were distinctly different between primary and secondary roots in the angiosperms. Therefore, H1 was rejected for angiosperm trees. The reverse flow of water in fine roots was reduced by approx. 40 % compared to the forward flow in angiosperms, while there was no difference in the gymnosperms. Thus, H2 was rejected for angiosperms. This reduction may be caused by vessel structure (e.g. tapering or secondary thickening elements), or perforation plate and pit architecture (e.g. width of aperture opening). Because of the reduced conductivity of reverse water flow, the ability of angiosperm trees to redistribute water along their root system might be lower than expected.

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