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Research | Open Access

Do root modules still exist after they die?

Jihong Li†, Chengming You†, Li Zhang, Han Li, Bo Tan, Yang Liu, Lixia Wang, Sining Liu, Zhenfeng Xu ( )
Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Rainy Area of West China Plantation Ecosystem Permanent Scientific Research Base & Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China

†Jihong Li and Chengming You contributed equally to this work.

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Abstract

Background

The terminal branch orders of plant root systems are increasingly known as an ephemeral module. This concept is crucial to recognize belowground processes. However, it is unknown if root modules still exist after they die?

Methods

The decomposition patterns of the first five root orders were observed for 3 years using a branch-order classification, a litter-bag method and sequential sampling in a common subalpine tree species (Picea asperata) of southwestern China.

Results

Two root modules were observed during the 3-year incubation. Among the first five branch orders, the first three order roots exhibited temporal patterns of mass loss, nutrients and stoichiometry distinct from their woody mother roots throughout the experimental period. This study, for the first time, reported the decomposition pattern of each individual root order and found a similar decomposition dynamic among ephemeral root branches in a forest tree species.

Conclusions

Results from this study suggest that root modules may also exist after death, while more data are needed for confirmation. The findings may further advance our understanding of architecture-associated functional heterogeneity in the fine-root system and also improve our ability to predict belowground processes.

Keywords

StoichiometryPhosphorusRoot branch orderFine rootsPicea asperata NitrogenRoot decomposition

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Forest Ecosystems
Volume 8 Issue 2,
June 2021
Article number: 23
DOI: 10.1186/s40663-021-00301-3
Cite this article:
Li J, You C, Zhang L, et al. Do root modules still exist after they die?. Forest Ecosystems, 2021, 8(2): 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40663-021-00301-3

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Received: 23 December 2020
Accepted: 10 March 2021
Published: 06 April 2021
© The Author(s) 2021.

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