Water limitation intensity shifts carbon allocation dynamics in Scots pine mesocosms.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Tree species worldwide suffer from extended periods of water limitation. These conditions not only affect the growth and vitality of trees but also feed back on the cycling of carbon (C) at the plant-soil interface. However, the impact of progressing water loss from soils on the transfer of assimilated C belowground remains unresolved.

Methods

Using mesocosms, we assessed how increasing levels of water deficit affect the growth of Pinus sylvestris saplings and performed a ¹³C-CO₂ pulse labelling experiment to trace the pathway of assimilated C into needles, fine roots, soil pore CO_2, and phospholipid fatty acids of soil microbial groups.

Results

With increasing water limitation, trees partitioned more biomass

SUBMITTER: Solly EF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10533586 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature