Abstract
The distribution of fine roots and external ectomycorrhizal mycelium of three species of trees was determined down to a soil depth of 55 cm to estimate the relative nutrient uptake capacity of the trees from different soil layers. In addition, a root bioassay was performed to estimate the nutrient uptake capacity of Rb+ and NH +4 by these fine roots under standardized conditions in the laboratory. The study was performed in monocultures of oak (Quercus robur L.), European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] on sandy soil in a tree species trial in Denmark. The distribution of spruce roots was found to be more concentrated to the top layer (0–11 cm) than that of oak and beech roots, and the amount of external ectomycorrhizal mycelia was correlated to the distribution of the roots. The uptake rate of [86Rb+] by oak roots declined with soil depth, while that of beech or spruce roots was not influenced by soil depth. In modelling the nutrient sustainability of forest soils, the utilization of nutrient resources in deep soil layers has been found to be a key factor. The present study shows that the more shallow-rooted spruce can have a similar capacity to take up nutrients from deeper soil layers than the more deeply rooted oak. The distribution of roots and mycelia may therefore not be a reliable parameter for describing nutrient uptake capacity by tree roots at different soil depths.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Forest & Landscape, Denmark for their co-operation and for giving us access to the tree species trail for this study. Bruno Bilde Jörgensen has been especially helpful. Thomas Larsson, Ulrika Jönsson, Anders Jonshagen, Dirk-Jan Ten Brink, Pernilla Göransson, Marina Arbetman, Jakob Sandberg and Karin Olsson are thanked for their assistance in the laboratory and fieldwork, and Louise Hathaway for correcting the language. The study was funded by the MISTRA project SUFOR, The Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry, and The Royal Physiographic Society in Lund.
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Göransson, H., Wallander, H., Ingerslev, M. et al. Estimating the relative nutrient uptake from different soil depths in Quercus robur, Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies . Plant Soil 286, 87–97 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-006-9028-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-006-9028-0