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Changes in very fine root respiration and morphology with time since last fire in a boreal forest

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Abstract

Aims

We examined the physiological and morphological responses of individual fine root segments in boreal forests stands with different age since the last fire to determine changes in specific fine root respiration and morphological traits during forest succession.

Methods

We investigated the respiration of fine roots divided into three diameter classes (<0.5, 0.5–1.0, and 1.0–2.0 mm) in a Finnish boreal Pinus sylvestris L. in forest stands with 5, 45, 63, and 155 years since the last fire.

Results

Specific respiration rates of <0.5 mm roots in 155-year-old stands were 74 %, 38 %, and 31 % higher than in 5-, 45-, and 63-year-old stands, respectively. However, the respiration rates of thicker diameter roots did not significantly change among stands with respect to time after fire. Similarly, fire disturbance had a strong impact on morphological traits of <0.5 mm roots, but not on thicker roots. Root respiration rates correlated positively with specific root length (length per unit mass) and negatively with root tissue density (mass per unit volume) in all stand ages. The linear regression lines fitted to the relationships between root respiration and specific root length or root tissue density showed significantly higher intercepts in 63- and 155-year-old than in 5-year-old stands.

Conclusion

Significant shifts in the intercept of the common slope of respiration vs. morphology indicate the different magnitude of the changes in physiological performance among the fire age class. Despite a specific small geographic area, we suggest that the recovery of boreal forests following wildfire induces a strategy that favors carbon investment in nutrient and water exploitation efficiency with consequences for higher respiration, length, and lower tissue density of very fine roots.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge Prof. Jaana Bäck, Prof. Heljä-Sisko Helmisaari of Helsinki University, and staffs of the Värriö research station for supports in field and laboratory experiments. The authors also thank three anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on the manuscript. This study was funded by grants from the Academy of Finland to J.P. (130984, 255576 and 286685), by the Academy of Finland Finnish Centre of Excellence Program (1118615), and by Grant-in Aid for Japan Society for the Promotion of Science fellows (PD 13 J09602) to N.M.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Naoki Makita, Kajar Köster & Frank Berninger

  2. Kansai Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Kyoto, 612-0855, Japan

    Naoki Makita

  3. Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland

    Jukka Pumpanen

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  1. Naoki Makita
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Correspondence to Naoki Makita.

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Makita, N., Pumpanen, J., Köster, K. et al. Changes in very fine root respiration and morphology with time since last fire in a boreal forest. Plant Soil 402, 303–316 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-2801-9

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