Biomass, Morphology, and Dynamics of the Fine Root System Across a 3,000-M Elevation Gradient on Mt. Kilimanjaro.

ABSTRACT: Fine roots (≤2 mm) consume a large proportion of photosynthates and thus play a key role in the global carbon cycle, but our knowledge about fine root biomass, production, and turnover across environmental gradients is insufficient, especially in tropical ecosystems. Root system studies along elevation transects can produce valuable insights into root trait-environment relationships and may help to explore the evidence for a root economics spectrum (RES) that should represent a trait syndrome with a trade-off between resource acquisitive and conservative root traits. We studied fine root biomass, necromass, production, and mean fine root lifespan (the inverse of fine root turnover) of woody plants in six natural tropical ecosystems (savanna, four tropical mountain forest types, tropical al

SUBMITTER: Sierra Cornejo N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7010809 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature