Abstract
Different management practices are commonly applied to increase pasture yield of Mediterranean open woodlands, but the consequences of increasing competition for soil resources with these practices on tree recruitment are still unknown. In a greenhouse study, belowground competition of Quercus suber L. seedlings growing together with natural (OakNP) or improved pasture (OakIP) was evaluated, and their root systems compared with those of seedlings growing in bare soil (OakBS). Two watering levels and two regimes of P2O5 fertilisation were also tested. Because of competition, the OakIP seedlings had their fine root mass density, coarse root length, and shoot mass reduced by up to 40, 36, and 39%, respectively, when compared to OakNP seedlings. OakNP and OakBS seedlings showed similar average root density parameters and shoot mass values, indicating that Q. suber seedlings growing with natural pasture is a low competitive system. High availability of water and phosphorus did not mitigate the strength of competition between herbaceous plants and oak seedlings, and favoured the pasture to the detriment of the trees. Our findings suggest that P2O5 fertilisation and irrigation practices performed to improve herbaceous productivity will negatively influence recruitment of Q. suber seedlings.
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Acknowledgments
We thank A. Pérez, C. Candeleda, A. Calvo, and Laboratory staff of the Departamento de Ciências do Ambiente (ISA, Lisbon) for their valuable collaboration in greenhouse and lab assistance. Thanks to D. Crespo (FERTIPRADO, Sementes e Nutrientes, Lda.) for kindly providing us with the improved pasture. Thanks to Profs. N. Cortez, M. H. Almeida and H. Merouani for providing us with the acorns and some of the material for the experiment. This study was supported by the University of Extremadura (OR06/A7-01) and The European Union and Portuguese Ministério da Agricultura, do Desenvolvimento Rural e das Pescas (VALMONT project, AGRO-2003-0850). E. Cubera was awarded a posdoc grant by Consejería de Infraestructuras y Desarrollo Tecnológico (Junta de Extremadura) and European Social Found.
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Cubera, E., Moreno, G., Solla, A. et al. Root system of Quercus suber L. seedlings in response to herbaceous competition and different watering and fertilisation regimes. Agroforest Syst 85, 205–214 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-012-9492-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-012-9492-x