科研之友
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摘要
Fine roots play a key role in absorbing nutrients and water during ecosystem recycling. Previous studies have been undertaken regarding roots; however, there is limited information on the fine-root traits. To better understand the differences in root branch and morphological characteristics of understory shrub species, we investigated 11 shrub species from the understory of subalpine forests and addressed the following: 1) fine-root morphological characteristics of different branch orders; 2) variation of nutrient acquisition strategies among the different shrub species; and 3) the relationship between fine-root morphological and functional traits of different branch orders. We compared the fine-root diameter, specific root length (SRL), and root tissue density (RTD) of each branch among the different species. Interspecific relationships among these fine-root traits were examined. All studied species had a similar pattern of morphological characteristics with varying branch orders, with the fine-root diameter significantly increasing with root orders; however, SRL significantly decreased. The main variation in the branch was for the second- and third-orders. The variation in diameter was smaller for the first three roots than for the fourth- and fifth-order roots; however, the SRL variation was larger. All shrubs had a nonlinear relationship between the root diameter and SRL. Most of the studied species had significantly negative relationships between SRL and RTD. Interspecific differences in fine-root functional traits suggest different nutrient acquisition strategies among shrub species. Leguminosae and Rosaceae plants have relatively thinner roots, which contribute to the effective absorption of nutrients in soil that has adapted to various environments.
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