Spatio-Temporal Plasticity of Root Exudation in Three Temperate Tree Species: Effects of Season, Site, and Soil Characteristics.

ABSTRACT: Root exudation provides a constant carbon input to the rhizosphere and is therefore a very important factor in shaping this hotspot of biological activity. Nonetheless, data on root exudation and its spatio-temporal plasticity are scarce. This study provides insights into compound-specific root exudation in three temperate tree species in two seasons (late spring and late summer) and two soil compartments (forest floor and the top mineral soil), including the effect of soil chemistry. At four sites with differing mean annual temperatures and soil phosphorus levels, root exudates were sampled using an in situ cuvette-based system and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We found seasonally and spatially varying site- and species-specific exudation patterns. While the seasonal p

SUBMITTER: Wannenmacher M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12710586 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature