Abstract
A method of determining the surface area of mycorrhizous conifer roots is described. The roots are cleaned from soil particles by washing, slightly dried and covered with a monolayer of plastic beads. The surface area is estimated on the basis of the weight of adhered beads.
The method has been tested against the surface area measurements by a photographic-planimetric method. The estimates of the surface area by both methods compare fairly well.
An analysis of model root systems shows that the accuracy of the method for measuring the roots of 0.3mm diameter is about 5%.
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Koppel, A., Jaenes, A. & Lôhmus, K. Bead method for measuring the root surface area in conifers. Plant Soil 112, 201–203 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02139996
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02139996