Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Grassland species root response to drought
T2 - consequences for soil carbon and nitrogen availability
AU - De Vries, Franciska Trijntje
AU - Brown, Caley
AU - Stevens, Carly Joanne
PY - 2016/12
Y1 - 2016/12
N2 - Background and AimsRoot traits are increasingly used to predict how plants modify soil processes. Here, we assessed how drought-induced changes in root systems of four common grassland species affected C and N availability in soil. We hypothesized that drought would promote resource-conservative root traits such as high root tissue density (RTD) and low specific root length (SRL), and that these changes would result in higher soil N availability through decreased root N uptake, but lower C availability through reduced root exudation.MethodsWe subjected individual plants to drought under controlled conditions, and compared the response of their root biomass, root traits, and soil C and N availability, to control individuals.ResultsDrought affected most root traits through reducing root biomass. Only SRL and RTD displayed plasticity; drought reduced SRL, and increased RTD in small plants but decreased RTD in larger plants. Reduced root biomass and a shift towards more resource-conservative root traits increased soil inorganic N availability but did not directly affect soil C availability.ConclusionsThese findings identify mechanisms through which drought-induced changes in root systems affect soil C and N availability, and contribute to our understanding of how root traits modify soil processes in a changing world.
AB - Background and AimsRoot traits are increasingly used to predict how plants modify soil processes. Here, we assessed how drought-induced changes in root systems of four common grassland species affected C and N availability in soil. We hypothesized that drought would promote resource-conservative root traits such as high root tissue density (RTD) and low specific root length (SRL), and that these changes would result in higher soil N availability through decreased root N uptake, but lower C availability through reduced root exudation.MethodsWe subjected individual plants to drought under controlled conditions, and compared the response of their root biomass, root traits, and soil C and N availability, to control individuals.ResultsDrought affected most root traits through reducing root biomass. Only SRL and RTD displayed plasticity; drought reduced SRL, and increased RTD in small plants but decreased RTD in larger plants. Reduced root biomass and a shift towards more resource-conservative root traits increased soil inorganic N availability but did not directly affect soil C availability.ConclusionsThese findings identify mechanisms through which drought-induced changes in root systems affect soil C and N availability, and contribute to our understanding of how root traits modify soil processes in a changing world.
KW - Aboveground-belowground linkages
KW - Plant functional traits
KW - Plasticity
KW - Soil microbial properties
KW - Soil processes
KW - Climate change
U2 - 10.1007/s11104-016-2964-4
DO - 10.1007/s11104-016-2964-4
M3 - Journal article
VL - 409
SP - 297
EP - 312
JO - Plant and Soil
JF - Plant and Soil
SN - 0032-079X
IS - 1
ER -