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Fine root dynamics in Slovenian beech forests in relation to soil temperature and water availability

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Abstract

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Fine root ingrowth and mortality of European beech are related to evapotranspiration, cumulative forest floor precipitation, soil temperature and water content, which are affected by forest management and gap creation.

Abstract

The ingrowth and mortality of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) fine roots (diameters <2 mm) were studied in relation to environmental variables describing temperature and water availability at four sites, covering a range in environmental conditions likely to be encountered in Slovenian beech forests. Minirhizotron images were used to determine fine root dynamics in a stand and gap in each of the sites for 12 periods during the 2007–2009 growing seasons. The environmental variables included air and soil temperatures, precipitation, forest floor precipitation, evapotranspiration and soil water contents. For data analysis, the daily mean values for each period for all variables were used. Fine root ingrowth and mortality were higher in the managed stand and gap compared to the old-growth stand and gap, but only significantly correlated with each other in the case of the managed stand. Forest floor precipitation and soil temperature were significant in explaining fine root ingrowth, whereas maximal evapotranspiration, soil temperature and soil water content were more important for fine root mortality. However, the correlations were weak and inconsistent among the four sites. By including site as predictor as well as environmental variables, R 2 values of 0.49 and 0.55 for ingrowth and mortality, respectively, were achieved. Despite this, the relationships between the fine root dynamics and selected environmental factors appeared relatively weak and complex, especially for fine root ingrowth and might be partially related also to differences in successional stages of the forests under study.

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Author contribution statement

Peter Železnik: data collection; paper concept and approach; drafting of text; revision and editing. Urša Vilhar: modelling; paper concept and approach; drafting of text, graphs and tables; revision and editing. Mike Starr: paper concept and approach; checking of data; drafting of text, graphs and tables; revision and editing. Maarten de Groot: statistical analysis; paper concept and approach; partial drafting of text, graphs and tables. Hojka Kraigher: research project preparation and management; supervision of Ph.D. thesis.

Acknowledgments

The study was part of a Ph.D. study, the 5th EU FP project Nature-Based Management of Beech in Europe (NAT-MAN 648 QLK-CT99-1349), ManFor C. BD project, titled “Managing forests for 649 multiple purposes: carbon, biodiversity and socio-economic wellbeing” (LIFE09ENV/IT/000078), EUFORINNO—“European Forest Research and Innovation” (Reg. Pot No. 315982), several projects within the Programme group “Forest biology, ecology and technology”, and finalized within the project “Carbon dynamics in forest soils and the rhizosphere” financed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia. We would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Slovenian Forestry Institute, Večna pot 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

      Peter Železnik, Urša Vilhar, Maarten de Groot & Hojka Kraigher

    2. Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

      Mike Starr

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    1. Peter Železnik
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    2. Urša Vilhar
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    Correspondence to Peter Železnik.

    Additional information

    Communicated by T. Koike and K. Noguchi.

    P. Železnik, U. Vilhar and M. Starr have contributed equally to the article.

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    Železnik, P., Vilhar, U., Starr, M. et al. Fine root dynamics in Slovenian beech forests in relation to soil temperature and water availability. Trees 30, 375–384 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-015-1218-z

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