Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Fine root dynamics in a developing Populus deltoides plantation.

Christel C Kern1, Alexander L Friend, Jane M-F Johnson

  • 1USDA Forest Service, North Central Research Station, 1831 Hwy 169 E, Grand Rapids, MN 55744, USA. cckern@fs.fed.us

Tree Physiology
|April 3, 2004
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Effects of ungulate browsing on forest assisted migration strategies to conserve ecosystem function.

Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·2025
Same author

Nutrient leaching potential along a time series of forest water reclamation facilities in northern Idaho.

Journal of environmental management·2024
Same author

Root hydraulic conductivity and xylem sap levels of zeatin riboside and abscisic acid in ectomycorrhizal Douglas fir seedlings.

The New phytologist·2021
Same author

Restoring open canopy pine barrens from the ground up: Repeated burns correspond with increased soil hydraulic conductivity.

The Science of the total environment·2021
Same author

Retention forestry influences understory diversity and functional identity.

Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America·2020
Same author

Stand development and other intrinsic factors largely control fine-root dynamics with only subtle modifications from resource availability.

Tree physiology·2018
Same journal

Drought-induced carbon reallocation in European beech: linking non-structural carbohydrates, xylem anatomy, and water use efficiency.

Tree physiology·2026
Same journal

PyWRKY48 directly activates PyMTP10 to confer cadmium tolerance and accumulation in poplar.

Tree physiology·2026
Same journal

Effects of fertilization on drought responses in saplings of three European trees species.

Tree physiology·2026
Same journal

Good neighbours: current-year needles in Nordmann fir rely on their one-year-old neighbouring needles for adequate nutrient supply.

Tree physiology·2026
Same journal

Foliar structural and physiological responses of young Picea abies trees to elevated environmental humidity.

Tree physiology·2026
Same journal

A multi-tissue single-cell atlas of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) reveals cellular heterogeneity and lineage trajectories.

Tree physiology·2026
See all related articles

Nutrient availability impacts cottonwood fine root dynamics, with fertilization increasing live root biomass but not always production. Root cycling varied by depth and diameter, with fertilization showing stronger effects on rapidly cycling roots.

Area of Science:

  • Forest Ecology
  • Plant Physiology
  • Soil Science

Background:

  • Fine root dynamics are crucial for forest ecosystem functioning, influencing nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration.
  • Understanding how nutrient availability affects fine root turnover is essential for managing forest productivity and health.
  • Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) plantations are important for biomass production and ecosystem services.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of varying nutrient availability on fine root dynamics in a cottonwood plantation.
  • To determine how fertilization influences fine root production, mortality, standing crop, and lifespan.
  • To assess the interplay between nutrient addition and temporal, spatial, and root morphological factors in regulating fine root behavior.

Main Methods:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Establishment of a closely spaced cottonwood plantation with controlled fertilization treatments (0, 50, 100, 200 kg N ha⁻¹).
  • Monthly monitoring of fine root dynamics using minirhizotrons over two growing seasons.
  • Quantification of fine root biomass through soil core analysis.
  • Analysis of root production, mortality, live root standing crop, and lifespan in relation to fertilization and environmental factors.

Main Results:

  • Fine root dynamics were primarily influenced by temporal, depth, and root diameter factors, with fertilization having secondary effects.
  • Fine root production and mortality exhibited strong seasonal patterns, peaking mid-growing season and post-growing season, respectively.
  • Live root standing crop increased with fertilization, but cumulative fine root production showed a complex response, being lowest at 50 kg N ha⁻¹.
  • Aboveground growth responded positively to fertilization up to 50 kg N ha⁻¹, with no further increases at higher rates.

Conclusions:

  • Fertilization significantly increased live fine root biomass in cottonwood plantations, but its effect on production was not consistently positive.
  • Fine root turnover is a complex process influenced by seasonality, soil depth, root diameter, and nutrient availability, with faster cycling in shallow, smaller roots.
  • Optimal nutrient management for cottonwood plantations should consider the non-linear responses of root dynamics and aboveground growth to fertilization rates.