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Functioning and Management of European Beech Ecosystems pp 137–153Cite as

Fine Root Biomass, Turnover and Litter Production

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Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 208))

Abstract

Fine roots are part of the regenerative system of trees. The annual renewal of fine roots can represent an important sink for assimilates in forest ecosystems (Agren et al. 1980). Estimates for the production of fine roots range between 5 and 70% of the total net primary production of trees (Santantonio 1990). Thus, fine root turnover may equal or even exceed the amount of carbon that is required for foliar litter production, making the quantification of fine root turnover an essential component of carbon budgets in forest ecosystems (Bartelink 1998). However, only limited data are available on belowground C allocation as it is not possible to directly measure root growth, mortality and decomposition in an undisturbed forest soil. Even less is known about the factors controlling fine root turnover. Because of the insufficient database, reliable hypotheses about the regulation of belowground processes in forest ecosystems have great uncertainty (Vogt et al. 1996). However, due to their importance in global climate change, more information on the factors controlling carbon allocation within plants is required to assess the ability of forest ecosystems to sequester carbon (Kroon and Visser 2003). The emphasis of the present chapter is to assess if soil acidification affects the fine root production or turnover of European beech. In addition to the quantification of carbon cycling via fine root dynamics, the importance of fine root litter production in element recycling and thus the soil organic matter pool will be evaluated.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the BMBF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Forest and Environment, Fachhochschule Eberswalde, Alfred-Möller-Strasse 1, 16225, Eberswalde, Germany

    D. Murach

  2. Department of Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones, Georg-August University Göttingen, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    A. Horn, W. Ke-Hong & C. Rapp

Authors
  1. D. Murach
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  2. A. Horn
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  3. W. Ke-Hong
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  4. C. Rapp
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Correspondence to D. Murach .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil Science of Tropical Ecosystems, Georg-August- University Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Rainer Brumme

  2. Department of Soil Science of Temperate and Boreal Ecosystems, Georg-August- University Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Partap K. Khanna

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Murach, D., Horn, A., Ke-Hong, W., Rapp, C. (2009). Fine Root Biomass, Turnover and Litter Production. In: Brumme, R., Khanna, P.K. (eds) Functioning and Management of European Beech Ecosystems. Ecological Studies, vol 208. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/b82392_10

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