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Fine root traits in Chamaecyparis obtusa forest soils with different acid buffering capacities

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The biomass, morphology, and respiration of the fine roots of Chamaecyparis obtusa did not change between different soil acid buffering capacities. Soil nitrate has noticeable effects on morphology and respiration.

Abstract

Low soil acid buffering capacity (ABC) accelerates soil acidification because of the lower concentrations of base cations (BC) and higher concentrations of aluminum (Al) present under such conditions. More information on fine root traits across soil ABC gradients is required to evaluate the effects of accelerated soil acidification in mature forests, especially in East Asia. We investigated the biomass, morphology (specific root length; SRL), and respiration rates of fine roots and analyzed the soil nitrogen status in seven Chamaecyparis obtusa stands with two highly contrasting ABC soils. There were no significant differences in the biomass, SRL, and respiration rates of fine roots between high- and low-ABC stands. However, fine roots in the low-ABC stands were concentrated in the uppermost soil layers and the biomass proportion of roots <0.5 mm in diameter was higher in low-ABC stands than in high-ABC stands. The fine root biomass increased with increasing soil Al, NH4 +-N, and C and with decreasing soil BC and bulk density. The SRL and respiration rates of fine roots were positively correlated with soil NO3 −-N. We conclude that the fine root traits were affected not only by soil ABC but also by other soil properties in the forest.

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Acknowledgments

We appreciate the editor and two anonymous reviewers for their significant suggestions for our earlier version of the manuscript. We thank M. Takano, K. Sekihara, A. Sobue, S. Nagano (Nagoya University), T. Mizoguchi (Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute) for valuable suggestions and assistance with our field work and laboratory analyses. We also thank H. Fukumoto (The Mie Prefectural Forestry Research Center), Y. Kodaka (Inabe Hokusei agency), H. Tomita and S. Amano (Okazaki municipal office), T. Kadoya (Aichi Prefectural Forestry Institute), T. Hakamata (Shizuoka Prefectural Research Institute of Agriculture and Forestry), M. Sugiyama (Shizuoka municipal office), S. Ishihara (Numazu municipal office), H. Watanabe and Y. Motegi (Gifu Prefectural Research Institute for Forests) for permission to use the forest health-monitoring survey sites of the Forest Agency of Japan.

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  1. Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan

    Kouhei Miyatani & Yasuhiro Hirano

  2. School of Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan

    Kouhei Miyatani, Yuki Mizusawa, Kazuki Okada & Yasuhiro Hirano

  3. Kansai Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Nagai-kyutaro, Momoyama, Fushimi, Kyoto, 612-0855, Japan

    Toko Tanikawa & Naoki Makita

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  1. Kouhei Miyatani
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Correspondence to Kouhei Miyatani.

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Communicated by T. Koike and K. Noguchi.

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Miyatani, K., Mizusawa, Y., Okada, K. et al. Fine root traits in Chamaecyparis obtusa forest soils with different acid buffering capacities. Trees 30, 415–429 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-015-1291-3

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