Extremely high fine root mortalities

9. März 2022, von Website Team Biologie

Extremely high fine root mortalities were observed under drought in 2018, increasing fine root mortality in young trees could be explained by differences in root distribution compared to old trees.

Together with scientists of the Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN) the scientists of the department of biology around Anastasia Leonova (Doctoral Candidate, Research Group Applied Plant Ecology, Institute of Plant Science and Microbiology) observed extremely high fine root mortalities under drought in 2018. Increasing fine root mortality in young trees could be explained by differences in root distribution compared to old trees.

Juvenile trees in floodplains are prone to high mortality leading to a low success in reforestation in these habitats. One of the reasons contributing to high mortality of juvenile trees could be limited water and nutrient uptake due to a high level of fine root mortality, especially during summer droughts on higher terraces of floodplains. Strategies of different tree species in hardwood floodplain forests (HFFs) on keeping fine roots alive are still poorly understood. During the recordbreaking  summer drought of 2018, the researchers examined the relationship between tree age and fine root dynamics of Quercus robur and Ulmus laevis along the Elbe River in Germany.

This research is a part of the project MediAN (Mechanismen der Ökosystemdienstleistungen von Hartholz-Auenwäldern: Wissenschaftliche Analyse sowie Optimierung durch Naturschutzmanagement). The results have now been published in the scientific journal Trees.