Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2019, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (11): 969-978.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2019.0189

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Variations in the first-order root diameter in 89 woody species in a subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest

WANG Xue1,CHEN Guang-Shui1,*(),YAN Xiao-Jun1,2,CHEN Ting-Ting1,JIANG Qi1,CHEN Yu-Hui1,FAN Ai-Lian1,JIA Lin-Qiao1,XIONG De-Cheng1,HUANG Jin-Xue1   

  1. 1School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University/State Key Laboratory for Subtropical Mountain Ecology (Funded by Ministry of Science and Technology and Fujian Province), Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
    2 Mudu High School of Jiangsu, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215101, China
  • Received:2019-07-19 Accepted:2019-10-22 Online:2019-11-20 Published:2020-03-26
  • Contact: CHEN Guang-Shui
  • Supported by:
    Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31830014);Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31422012)

Abstract:

Aims The diameter variation of fine roots plays an important role for the study of fine root variation. Phylogeny is a significant factor. In order to examine the diameter variation of the first-order roots in subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests, we investigated 89 woody plant species from a natural evergreen broadleaved forest in Wanmulin Nature Reserve, Jianou, Fujian Province.Methods We selected three trees of each species with similar diameters at breast height or ground diameters, and sampled the root system with intact soil block method. We classed fine root with root order method. One-way ANOVA was used to test the first-order root diameter difference among the life forms (evergreen and deciduous trees), growth forms (tree, semi-tree or shrub and shrub) and the taxonomic classes. Then the Blomberg’s K value was calculated to determine phylogenetic signal. We analyzed the correlation between divergence time and first-order root diameter by using linear regression from family perspective.Important findings 1) The coefficient of variation for the first-order root diameter was 23% in this subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest. 2) There were no differences in first-order root diameter between evergreen and deciduous trees, but that of the shrubs was significantly different from that of the semi-tree, shrub and tree species. 3) Phylogenetic signal in first-order root diameter was not significant. In addition, the divergence time was positively correlated with the first-order root diameter in the family-level. These results showed that, the variations for first-order root diameter in the tested subtropical woody species was little affected by phylogenetic structure.

Key words: diameter variation, first-order root, subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest, phylogeny