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Fine-root rhizosphere and morphological adaptations to site conditions in interaction with tree mineral nutrition in young silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) stands

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Abstract

Limited nutrient acquisition from soil is a key process limiting productivity in boreal forest. We investigated short-root morphological adaptations and rhizosphere effect in relation to site conditions in interaction with tree mineral nutrition. We studied seven young (8- to 14-year-old) silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) stands on abandoned agricultural land in Estonia. Soil pH varied from 3.8 to 7.0, and soil N % from 0.07 to 0.26%. Tree nutrient (NPK) status was expressed by leaf nutrient concentrations. Leaf N correlated negatively with short-root specific length and area. Summed activity (SA) and metabolic diversity of bacteria (by BIOLOG Ecoplate™), bacterial community diversity (by DGGE) and pHKCl were determined for rhizosphere (R) and bulk soil (S) to reveal the extent of the rhizosphere effect. Bacterial activity in rhizosphere was 1.4–4.7 times higher than in bulk soil. Ratio SAR/SAS indicating root support to the rhizosphere bacterial communities decreased with increasing bulk soil pH; however, when bulk soil pH was ≥5, the decrease in SAR/SAS was insignificant, i.e. the rhizosphere effect stayed at a stable level. Diversity of bacterial community was 6% higher in bulk soil than in rhizosphere. Rhizosphere acidification occurred in studied stands when bulk soil pHKCl ≥ 5. Short-root N % correlated positively with SAR/SAS. We concluded that tree N-nutritional status was related to short-root morphological parameters but not to studied microbiological characteristics in the soil of young silver birch stands.

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Abbreviations

BAS:

Microbial basal respiration

CLPP:

Community-level physiological profiles

DGGE:

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis

MD:

Metabolic diversity (Shannon index) by Biolog EcoPlates

R:

Rhizosphere

PCA:

Principal component analysis

S:

Bulk soil

SA:

Summed activity of cultivable bacteria, obtained with Biolog EcoPlates

SIR:

Substrate-induced respiration

SRA:

Specific root area

SRL:

Specific root length

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Grants No. 7792 and 7452 of the Estonian Science Foundation, by Target Projects No. SF0180127s08 and SF0182732s06 of the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Estonia and by the EU through the European Regional Development Fund (Center of Excellence FIBIR). We thank Dr. Jaak Jaagus for meteorological information for the stands, Dr. Arno Kanal for his kind help in soil taxonomy, and Mr. Ilmar Part for linguistic revision of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia

    Katrin Rosenvald, Ivika Ostonen, Marika Truu, Jaak Truu & Krista Lõhmus

  2. Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, 51014, Tartu, Estonia

    Veiko Uri & Aivo Vares

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  1. Katrin Rosenvald
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  2. Ivika Ostonen
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  3. Marika Truu
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  7. Krista Lõhmus
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Correspondence to Katrin Rosenvald.

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Communicated by A. Merino.

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Rosenvald, K., Ostonen, I., Truu, M. et al. Fine-root rhizosphere and morphological adaptations to site conditions in interaction with tree mineral nutrition in young silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) stands. Eur J Forest Res 130, 1055–1066 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-011-0492-6

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