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Background and Aims <p>The allocation of carbon (C) to tree roots has implications for forest productivity and soil C storage. Here, we elucidated the factors affecting absolute and relative production of resource-acquiring absorptive fine roots (AFR) and other tree organs.</p> Methods <p>We assessed soil properties, leaf, stem and branch (Stem-Br), coarse root (CR), transport fine root (TFR) and AFR biomass and production, leaf litterfall and AFR and TFR mortality of 12 trees in a young <i>Populus deltoides</i> plantation using biomass harvesting methods and an improved soil coring-based root model.</p> Results <p>Biomass, production and mortality of AFRs were significantly related to those of TFRs but were independent of those of leaves, CRs, and Stem-Brs. The relative production of AFRs and TFRs was negatively correlated with total production. Spatial variation in soil nutrients significantly altered the production of leaves, Stem-Brs, and CRs but did not affect AFR and TFR production. By contrast, the relative production of AFRs and TFRs were significantly related to soil nutrients.</p> Conclusions <p>AFR and TFR growth and death are tightly coupled at individual tree level. AFRs do not interact with leaves in a complimentary or inverse fashion in terms of biomass, production and mortality. Lower soil nutrients made <i>P. deltoides</i> allocate proportionately more biomass to AFRs at the cost of leaf and Stem-Br production. Such a change significantly reduced whole-tree production. The significant relationships between AFRs and TFRs have great potential to accurately estimate C cycling through fine roots.</p>

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Soil nutrients affect production and biomass allocation at the individual tree level in Populus deltoides

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月25日

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  • Xuefeng Li,
  • Nahom Ftwi,
  • Janna Kleinsasser,
  • Theophilus O. Isimikalu,
  • Jonathan R. Cumming

摘要

Background and Aims

The allocation of carbon (C) to tree roots has implications for forest productivity and soil C storage. Here, we elucidated the factors affecting absolute and relative production of resource-acquiring absorptive fine roots (AFR) and other tree organs.

Methods

We assessed soil properties, leaf, stem and branch (Stem-Br), coarse root (CR), transport fine root (TFR) and AFR biomass and production, leaf litterfall and AFR and TFR mortality of 12 trees in a young Populus deltoides plantation using biomass harvesting methods and an improved soil coring-based root model.

Results

Biomass, production and mortality of AFRs were significantly related to those of TFRs but were independent of those of leaves, CRs, and Stem-Brs. The relative production of AFRs and TFRs was negatively correlated with total production. Spatial variation in soil nutrients significantly altered the production of leaves, Stem-Brs, and CRs but did not affect AFR and TFR production. By contrast, the relative production of AFRs and TFRs were significantly related to soil nutrients.

Conclusions

AFR and TFR growth and death are tightly coupled at individual tree level. AFRs do not interact with leaves in a complimentary or inverse fashion in terms of biomass, production and mortality. Lower soil nutrients made P. deltoides allocate proportionately more biomass to AFRs at the cost of leaf and Stem-Br production. Such a change significantly reduced whole-tree production. The significant relationships between AFRs and TFRs have great potential to accurately estimate C cycling through fine roots.