Are Fine Root and Leaf Lifespans Correlated?

Are Fine Root and Leaf Lifespans Correlated? PDF Author: Ran Canelli
Publisher: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing
ISBN: 9783838337647
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 140

Get Book Here

Book Description
Leaf lifespan and structure have been linked to plant competition and nutrient cycling. Analyses of leaf structure and leaf lifespan on global data sets provide strong evidence for long leaf lifespan coupled with low specific leaf area and low mass-based N concentrations. Because fine roots share many characteristics with leaves (e.g. resource acquisition, ephemeral nature), we hypothesized that fine root and leaf lifespan should be correlated, and fine roots lifespan should couple with root traits. Our common garden in central Poland consisted of replicated, monospecific plots of five hardwood and six conifer species. We used minirhizotrons to observe root production and lifespan over four years. Minirhizotrons are used to nondestructively observe roots. We tested the important assumption that tube material does not influence root behavior using butyrate and acrylic tubes in plots of three hardwoods and three conifers. Root survivorship near acrylic tubes was shorter for the conifers and longer for the hardwoods, indicating that multi-species lifespan data can be influenced by tube material.

Are Fine Root and Leaf Lifespans Correlated?

Are Fine Root and Leaf Lifespans Correlated? PDF Author: Ran Canelli
Publisher: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing
ISBN: 9783838337647
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 140

Get Book Here

Book Description
Leaf lifespan and structure have been linked to plant competition and nutrient cycling. Analyses of leaf structure and leaf lifespan on global data sets provide strong evidence for long leaf lifespan coupled with low specific leaf area and low mass-based N concentrations. Because fine roots share many characteristics with leaves (e.g. resource acquisition, ephemeral nature), we hypothesized that fine root and leaf lifespan should be correlated, and fine roots lifespan should couple with root traits. Our common garden in central Poland consisted of replicated, monospecific plots of five hardwood and six conifer species. We used minirhizotrons to observe root production and lifespan over four years. Minirhizotrons are used to nondestructively observe roots. We tested the important assumption that tube material does not influence root behavior using butyrate and acrylic tubes in plots of three hardwoods and three conifers. Root survivorship near acrylic tubes was shorter for the conifers and longer for the hardwoods, indicating that multi-species lifespan data can be influenced by tube material.

Root functional traits: From fine root to community-level variation

Root functional traits: From fine root to community-level variation PDF Author: Iván Prieto
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
ISBN: 2832517927
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 169

Get Book Here

Book Description


The Controls and Constraints of Fine-root Lifespan

The Controls and Constraints of Fine-root Lifespan PDF Author: Thomas Adams
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Get Book Here

Book Description
Despite fine roots accounting for up to 50% of global terrestrial net primary productivity and 60% of soil respiration, surprisingly little is known about their ecology. Much of our ignorance involving fine-root ecology stems from the difficulty in observing roots in situ without disturbing the environment they inhabit. As a result, the ecological study of roots is still in its infancy. Through the use of minirhizotrons and isotopic techniques, we are beginning to gain a better understanding of how long roots live. However based on the different methodological approaches employed, the answer to this seemingly basic question can differ by as much as five fold. Beyond these methodological discrepancies, a basic understanding of the controlling factors that govern root lifespan remains elusive. Marshall and Waring put forward one of the early hypotheses regarding the controls of fine-root lifespan. They hypothesized that fine roots are initially constructed with a static carbohydrate reserve and the use of this finite reserve to fuel the metabolic demands of the root dictates the root's longevity. In Chapter 2, we examine this hypothesis in greater depth by labeling Sassafras albidum trees with 99% 13CO2 and tracking the fate of the label in fine roots that were at least two weeks old at the time of labeling. If a root's carbohydrate reserves truly are determined at initiation, than no 13C labeled photosynthate should appear in the carbohydrate pools of existing, non-elongating roots. We found that both root non-structural and structural carbon pools incorporate carbon from current photosynthate and as a result we found no support for the underlying assumptions of hypothesis put forward by Marshall and Waring. In Chapter 3, we investigate another hypothesis concerning the control of fine-root lifespan, namely that root lifespan is dictated by some metric of the costs of building and maintaining the root compared to the benefits the root supplies in terms of nutrient or water acquisition. Here we used a combination of minirhizotron tubes and in-growth cores fertilized with nitrogen to see if roots supplying greater levels of a limiting nutrient do indeed have extended lifespans. We found that for species with fine-root morphology, root lifespan was significantly extended by localized nitrogen fertilization, but this trend was not observed in species with coarse-root morphology. Finally, in Chapter 4 we investigated the role herbivory plays in fine-root lifespan. We know that herbivores and pathogens can significantly reduce root longevity, but how well roots are defended against such attacks remains unanswered. We therefore investigated the relationship between levels of fine-root soluble phenolics, a putative measure of chemical defenses against root herbivory, and specific factors that have been shown to be related to fine-root lifespan. Although we found significant correlations between fine-root phenolic concentrations and both root order and localized nitrogen availability, we were unable to find general utility in relating phenolic concentrations with factors that have been shown to extend fine-root lifespan. Combined, the research described in the following chapters represents a significant scientific contribution in furthering our understanding of the controls and constraints of fine-root lifespan.

Plant Roots

Plant Roots PDF Author: Amram Eshel
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1439846480
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 861

Get Book Here

Book Description
The decade since the publication of the third edition of this volume has been an era of great progress in biology in general and the plant sciences in particular. This is especially true with the advancements brought on by the sequencing of whole genomes of model organisms and the development of "omics" techniques. This fourth edition of Plant Roots: The Hidden Half reflects these developments that have transformed not only the field of biology, but also the many facets of root science. Highlights of this new edition include: The basics of root research and their evolution and role in the global context of soil development and atmosphere composition New understandings about roots gained in the post-genomic era, for example, how the development of roots became possible, and the genetic basis required for this to occur The mechanisms that determine root structure, with chapters on cellular patterning, lateral root and vascular development, the molecular basis of adventitious roots, and other topics Plant hormone action and signaling pathways that control root development, including new chapters on strigolactones and brassinosteroids Soil resource acquisition from agricultural and ecological perspectives Root response to stress, with chapters that address the impact of the genomic revolution on this topic Root-rhizosphere interactions, from beneficial microorganisms to detrimental nematodes Modern research techniques for the field and the lab Each chapter not only presents a clear summation of the topic under discussion, but also includes a vision of what is to be expected in the years to come. The wide coverage of themes in this volume continues the tradition that makes this work recognized as a fundamental source of information for root scientists at all levels.

Root Ecology

Root Ecology PDF Author: Hans de Kroon
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9783540001850
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 424

Get Book Here

Book Description
In the course of evolution, a great variety of root systems have learned to overcome the many physical, biochemical and biological problems brought about by soil. This development has made them a fascinating object of scientific study. This volume gives an overview of how roots have adapted to the soil environment and which roles they play in the soil ecosystem. The text describes the form and function of roots, their temporal and spatial distribution, and their turnover rate in various ecosystems. Subsequently, a physiological background is provided for basic functions, such as carbon acquisition, water and solute movement, and for their responses to three major abiotic stresses, i.e. hard soil structure, drought and flooding. The volume concludes with the interactions of roots with other organisms of the complex soil ecosystem, including symbiosis, competition, and the function of roots as a food source.

Issues in Ecological Research and Application: 2012 Edition

Issues in Ecological Research and Application: 2012 Edition PDF Author:
Publisher: ScholarlyEditions
ISBN: 1481645811
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 485

Get Book Here

Book Description
Issues in Ecological Research and Application: 2012 Edition is a ScholarlyEditions™ eBook that delivers timely, authoritative, and comprehensive information about Chemoecology. The editors have built Issues in Ecological Research and Application: 2012 Edition on the vast information databases of ScholarlyNews.™ You can expect the information about Chemoecology in this eBook to be deeper than what you can access anywhere else, as well as consistently reliable, authoritative, informed, and relevant. The content of Issues in Ecological Research and Application: 2012 Edition has been produced by the world’s leading scientists, engineers, analysts, research institutions, and companies. All of the content is from peer-reviewed sources, and all of it is written, assembled, and edited by the editors at ScholarlyEditions™ and available exclusively from us. You now have a source you can cite with authority, confidence, and credibility. More information is available at http://www.ScholarlyEditions.com/.

Functional Ecology and Conservation of Palms

Functional Ecology and Conservation of Palms PDF Author: Gerardo Avalos
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
ISBN: 283250440X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 128

Get Book Here

Book Description


Plant Functional Diversity

Plant Functional Diversity PDF Author: Eric Garnier
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198757360
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 255

Get Book Here

Book Description
Biological diversity, the variety of living organisms on Earth, is traditionally viewed as the diversity of taxa, and species in particular. However, other facets of diversity also need to be considered for a comprehensive understanding of evolutionary and ecological processes. This novel book demonstrates the advantages of adopting a functional approach to diversity in order to improve our understanding of the functioning of ecological systems and theircomponents. The focus is on plants, which are major components of these systems, and for which the functional approach has led to major scientific advances over the last 20 years. PlantFunctional Diversity presents the rationale for a trait-based approach to functional diversity in the context of comparative plant ecology and agroecology. It demonstrates how this approach can be used to address a number of highly debated questions in plant ecology pertaining to plant responses to their environment, controls on plant community structure, ecosystem properties, and the services these deliver to human societies. This research level text will be of particular relevance and use tograduate students and professional researchers in plant ecology, agricultural sciences and conservation biology.

Progress in Botany 68

Progress in Botany 68 PDF Author: Karl Esser
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3540368329
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 420

Get Book Here

Book Description
With one volume each year, this series keeps scientists and advanced students informed of the latest developments and results in all areas of the plant sciences. The present volume includes reviews on genetics, cell biology, physiology, comparative morphology, systematics, ecology, and vegetation science.

Inherent Variation in Plant Growth

Inherent Variation in Plant Growth PDF Author: H. Lambers
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 608

Get Book Here

Book Description