Abstract
The main objective of this study was to investigate the impact and importance of herb fine roots in different diameter ranges on soil aggregate stability. A laboratory experiment was conducted to disentangle and evaluate the effect of fine roots on soil aggregates. Two herbs, alfalfa (Medicago sativa) with taproots and tall festuca (Festuca arundinacea) with fibrous roots, were selected for single and mixed planting. Root configuration and aggregate stability were measured after different growth periods (30, 60, and 120 days). During the growth period of our study, fine roots (< 0.5 mm) accounted for the vast majority in soil, while coarse roots (> 1 mm) appeared only in soil containing taproots. Planting could improve the mechanical and water stability of aggregates, with enhancement effects displayed as tall festuca > alfalfa, and mixed planting > single planting. Mechanical stability has a higher demand for finer roots. The density increase of very fine roots (< 0.25 mm) can improve mechanical stability continuously, but other diameter roots, especially for diameter > 1 mm, will have adverse effects on stability after the density reaches a certain threshold. Roots in each diameter range can improve water stability, but the correlation between root density and water-stable indices decreased gradually with the increase of root diameter. The higher ratio of fine roots causes fibrous roots have a better effect on aggregate stability than taproots. Finer roots improve aggregate stability mainly by combining 0.5 ~ 5 mm aggregates to form > 5 mm aggregates, and root turnover and exudation provide materials for this process by combining microaggregates (< 0.25 mm). Root length density (RLD) is a suitable parameter for predicting changes in aggregate stability, and finer roots could explain more variation in aggregate stability.
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Data Availability Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [Yuanyuan Guo], upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Kuoyu Zhao for supplying the experimental soil (Hebei Traffic Planning Design Institute) and Rende Wang (Institute of Geographical Sciences Hebei Academy of Sciences) for the testing of soil physical and chemical properties. Zijian Kang acknowledges support from the Key R & D projects in Hebei Province (19274207D).
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Kang, Z., Lou, G., Guo, Y. et al. How Does Fine Root Influence Aggregates? Comparing Root Diameter Distribution of Two Herbaceous Plants: a Pot Experiment. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 23, 6377–6391 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01491-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01491-1