Zhun Mao1, Yan Wang2, M Luke McCormack3,4, Nick Rowe1, Xiaobao Deng2,5, Xiaodong Yang2, Shangwen Xia2, Jérôme Nespoulous1, Roy C Sidle6, Dali Guo3, Alexia Stokes1. 1. AMAP, INRA, CNRS, IRD, CIRAD, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France. 2. Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China. 3. Center of Forest Ecosystem Studies and Qianyanzhou Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China. 4. Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA. 5. Xishuangbanna Station for Tropical Rain Forest Ecosystem Studies, Chinese Ecosystem Research Net, Mengla, Yunnan, China. 6. Sustainability Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia.
Abstract
Background and Aims: Root mechanical traits, including tensile strength (Tr), tensile strain (εr) and modulus of elasticity (Er), are key functional traits that help characterize plant anchorage and the physical contribution of vegetation to landslides and erosion. The variability in these traits is high among tree fine roots and is poorly understood. Here, we explore the variation in root mechanical traits as well as their underlying links with morphological (diameter), architectural (topological order) and anatomical (stele and cortex sizes) traits. Methods: We investigated the four tropical tree species Pometia tomentosa, Barringtonia fusicarpa, Baccaurea ramiflora and Pittosporopsis kerrii in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China. For each species, we excavated intact, fresh, fine roots and measured mechanical and anatomical traits for each branching order. Key Results: Mechanical traits varied enormously among the four species within a narrow range of diameters (<2 mm): <0.1-65 MPa for Tr, 4-1135 MPa for Er and 0.4-37 % for εr. Across species, Tr and Er were strongly correlated with stele area ratio, which was also better correlated with topological order than with root diameter, especially at interspecific levels. Conclusions: Root topological order plays an important role in explaining variability in fine-root mechanical traits due to its reflection of root tissue development. Accounting for topological order when measuring fine-root traits therefore leads to greater empirical understanding of plant functions (e.g. anchorage) within and across species.
Background and Aims: Root mechanical traits, including tensile strength (Tr), tensile strain (εr) and modulus of elasticity (Er), are key functional traits that help characterize plant anchorage and the physical contribution of vegetation to landslides and erosion. The variability in these traits is high among tree fine roots and is poorly understood. Here, we explore the variation in root mechanical traits as well as their underlying links with morphological (diameter), architectural (topological order) and anatomical (stele and cortex sizes) traits. Methods: We investigated the four tropical tree species Pometia tomentosa, Barringtonia fusicarpa, Baccaurea ramiflora and Pittosporopsis kerrii in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China. For each species, we excavated intact, fresh, fine roots and measured mechanical and anatomical traits for each branching order. Key Results: Mechanical traits varied enormously among the four species within a narrow range of diameters (<2 mm): <0.1-65 MPa for Tr, 4-1135 MPa for Er and 0.4-37 % for εr. Across species, Tr and Er were strongly correlated with stele area ratio, which was also better correlated with topological order than with root diameter, especially at interspecific levels. Conclusions: Root topological order plays an important role in explaining variability in fine-root mechanical traits due to its reflection of root tissue development. Accounting for topological order when measuring fine-root traits therefore leads to greater empirical understanding of plant functions (e.g. anchorage) within and across species.
Authors: Yusuke Onoda; Mark Westoby; Peter B Adler; Amy M F Choong; Fiona J Clissold; Johannes H C Cornelissen; Sandra Díaz; Nathaniel J Dominy; Alison Elgart; Lucas Enrico; Paul V A Fine; Jerome J Howard; Adel Jalili; Kaoru Kitajima; Hiroko Kurokawa; Clare McArthur; Peter W Lucas; Lars Markesteijn; Natalia Pérez-Harguindeguy; Lourens Poorter; Lora Richards; Louis S Santiago; Enio E Sosinski; Sunshine A Van Bael; David I Warton; Ian J Wright; S Joseph Wright; Nayuta Yamashita Journal: Ecol Lett Date: 2011-01-25 Impact factor: 9.492
Authors: Grégoire T Freschet; Loïc Pagès; Colleen M Iversen; Louise H Comas; Boris Rewald; Catherine Roumet; Jitka Klimešová; Marcin Zadworny; Hendrik Poorter; Johannes A Postma; Thomas S Adams; Agnieszka Bagniewska-Zadworna; A Glyn Bengough; Elison B Blancaflor; Ivano Brunner; Johannes H C Cornelissen; Eric Garnier; Arthur Gessler; Sarah E Hobbie; Ina C Meier; Liesje Mommer; Catherine Picon-Cochard; Laura Rose; Peter Ryser; Michael Scherer-Lorenzen; Nadejda A Soudzilovskaia; Alexia Stokes; Tao Sun; Oscar J Valverde-Barrantes; Monique Weemstra; Alexandra Weigelt; Nina Wurzburger; Larry M York; Sarah A Batterman; Moemy Gomes de Moraes; Štěpán Janeček; Hans Lambers; Verity Salmon; Nishanth Tharayil; M Luke McCormack Journal: New Phytol Date: 2021-11 Impact factor: 10.323