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Root density distribution and biomass allocation of co-occurring woody plants on contrasting soils in a subtropical savanna parkland

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Abstract

Background and aims

Root niche partitioning among trees/shrubs and grasses facilitates their coexistence in savannas, but little is known regarding root distribution patterns of co-occurring woody plants, and how they might differ on contrasting soils.

Methods

We quantified root distributions of co-occurring shrubs to 2 m on argillic and non-argillic soils.

Results

Root biomass in the two shrub communities was 3- to 5- fold greater than that in the grassland community. Prosopis glandulosa, the dominant overstory species was deep-rooted, while the dominant understory shrub, Zanthoxylum fagara, was shallow-rooted (47% vs. 25% of root density at depths >0.4 m). Shrubs on argillic soils had less aboveground and greater belowground mass than those on non-argillic soils. Root biomass and density on argillic soils was elevated at shallow (< 0.4 m) depths, whereas root density of the same species on non-argillic soils were skewed to depths >0.4 m. Root density decreased exponentially with increasing distance from woody patch perimeters.

Conclusions

Belowground biomass (carbon) pools increased markedly with grassland-to-shrubland state change. The presence/absence of a restrictive barrier had substantial effects on root distributions and above- vs. belowground biomass allocation. Differences in root distribution patterns of co-occurring woody species would facilitate their co-existence.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by NSF grant BSR-9109240, NASA grant NAGW-2662, NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant DEB/DDIG-1600790, USDA/NIFA Hatch Project 1003961. Yong Zhou was supported by a Sid Kyle Graduate Merit Assistantship from the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management and a Tom Slick Graduate Research Fellowship from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stephen Watts was supported by a Regents’ Fellowship from the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies at Texas A&M University. We thank Rob Flinn and Dr. Stephen Zitzer for identification of woody plants and assistance with fieldwork; Dr. Lynn Loomis of USDA/NRCS for help with soil descriptions; and, Dr. Mike Longnecker of Department of Statistics at Texas A&M for help with statistical analyses. Several undergraduate students also contributed to the project, including Keith Beatty, Brian Hays, James Loughlin, Patty Mentch, Wesley Roark, and Marcus Simpson. Assistance with on-site logistics at the La Copita Research Area was provided by David and Stacy McKown.

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  1. Yong Zhou

    Present address: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    Yong Zhou & Thomas W. Boutton

  2. 412th Civil Engineer Group, Environmental Management Division, Edwards Air Force Base, CA, 93524, USA

    Stephen E. Watts

  3. School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA

    Steven R. Archer

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Zhou, Y., Watts, S.E., Boutton, T.W. et al. Root density distribution and biomass allocation of co-occurring woody plants on contrasting soils in a subtropical savanna parkland. Plant Soil 438, 263–279 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-019-04018-9

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