Stored carbon partly fuels fine-root respiration but is not used for production of new fine roots
- ORNL
The relative use of new photosynthate compared to stored C for the production and maintenance of fine roots, and the rate of C turnover in heterogeneous fine-root populations, are poorly understood. We followed the relaxation of a 13C tracer in fine roots in a Liquidambar styraciflua plantation at the conclusion of a free-air CO2 enrichment experiment. Goals included quantifying the relative fractions of new photosynthate versus stored C used in root growth and root respiration, as well as the turnover rate of fine-root C fixed during [CO2] fumigation. New fine-root growth was largely from recent photosynthate, while nearly one-quarter of respired C was from a storage pool. Changes in the isotopic composition of the fine-root population over two full growing seasons indicated heterogeneous C pools; less than 10% of root C had a residence time < 3 months, while a majority of root C had a residence time > 2 years. Compared to a 1-pool model, a 2-pool model for C turnover in fine roots (with 5 and 0.37 yr-1 turnover times) doubles the fine-root contribution to forest NPP (9-13%) and supports the 50% root-to-soil transfer rate often used in models.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC05-00OR22725
- OSTI ID:
- 1089774
- Journal Information:
- New Phytologist, Vol. 199, Issue 2; ISSN 0028-646X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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