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Incipient reshaping of the critical zone of native mountain grasslands caused by exotic pines

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Abstract

Background and aims

The way in which roots distribute throughout the critical zone influences soil and critical zone formation, as well as water, nutrient and energy fluxes. Root distributions, however, are also influenced by how the critical zone functions. Rapid vegetation changes offer a valuable setting to disentangle these reciprocal effects, and to observe the early changes that occur in the critical zone and how this affects its evolution.

Methods

We took advantage of recent exotic Pinus elliottii stands established over native mountain grasslands, to compare how roots of contrasting plant life forms occupy the soil-saprolite-rock continuum. We combined root count and biomass measurements across 2-m-deep observation pits into the saprolite, coupled with topsoil removal plots describing the coarse root transport system introduced by pines.

Results

Pine stands had four-fold more root biomass than grasslands (1.74 vs 0.41 kg of dry matter per square meter) and allocated a greater proportion of their fine roots into the saprolite. Pines also developed a coarse root transport system with profuse superficial lateral roots and irregularly distributed sinker roots occupying deep cracks for the first time.

Conclusion

The establishment of exotic pines over grasslands reshaped and expanded the root zone in only four decades, highlighting the capacity of vegetation to rapidly change the occupancy and dynamics of the critical zone.

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Data availability

Data available will be made available upon manuscript acceptance.

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Acknowledgements

We especially thank to F. Spalazzi, S. Alsina, M. Almonacid and R. Paez for their valuable help during root excavations in the field. We also thank to O. Gonzales and N. Medina for their kind assistance during the field work.

Funding

Funding was provided by a National Geographic Small Grant granted to F.P.T (NGS-163R-18).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. IMASL / UNSL / CONICET - Av. Ejército de los Andes 950, 5700, San Luis, Argentina

    Tomás Milani, François P. Teste & Esteban G. Jobbágy

  2. Swift Current Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 1 Airport Road, Swift Current, SK, S9H 3X2, Canada

    François P. Teste

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  1. Tomás Milani
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  2. François P. Teste
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  3. Esteban G. Jobbágy
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Contributions

TM, FPT and EGJ conceived the ideas and designed methodology; TM collected the data; TM, FPT and EGJ analyzed the data; TM led the writing of the manuscript. All authors contributed critically to the drafts and gave final approval for publication.

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Correspondence to Tomás Milani.

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Milani, T., Teste, F.P. & Jobbágy, E.G. Incipient reshaping of the critical zone of native mountain grasslands caused by exotic pines. Plant Soil 495, 601–613 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-023-06350-7

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