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Responses of fine roots to experimental nitrogen addition in a tropical lower montane rain forest, Panama

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 December 2010

Markus Adamek ,
Marife D. Corre  and
Dirk Hölscher
Markus Adamek*
Affiliation:
Soil Science of Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems, Büsgen Institute, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
Marife D. Corre
Affiliation:
Soil Science of Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems, Büsgen Institute, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
Dirk Hölscher
Affiliation:
Tropical Silviculture and Forest Ecology, Burckhardt Institute, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
*
1Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract:

Nitrogen (N) availability is a major control on fine-root growth and distribution with depth in forest soils. We investigated fine-root dynamics in response to N addition in a montane rain forest with N-limited above-ground production. Control and N-fertilized (125 kg urea-N ha−1 y−1) treatments were laid out in a paired-plot design with four replicates (each 40 × 40 m). During 1.5 y of treatment, fine root-biomass, necromass and production were assessed by sequential coring at three soil depths (organic layer, 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm mineral soil), whereas fine-root redistribution with depth was assessed by ingrowth cores. Total fine-root biomass, necromass and production in the controls were 458 ± 21 g m−2, 101 ± 9 g m−2 and 324 ± 33 g m−2 y−1, respectively. No significant difference at any depth was detected under N fertilization. Fine-root biomass in the organic layer decreased over time under N addition. At 10–20 cm in the mineral soil, fine-root biomass in ingrowth cores increased significantly after 1.5 y of N fertilization compared with the control. The increased available N may have induced the change in fine-root distribution to explore the deeper mineral soil for other nutrients which may cause additional limitation to above-ground production once N limitation is alleviated.

Keywords

fine-root biomassfine-root productionmineral soilnitrogen fertilizationorganic layer
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 27 , Issue 1 , January 2011 , pp. 73 - 81
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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