Seasonal patterns of fine-root productivity and turnover in a tropical savanna of northern Australia

作者：Xiao‐Yong Chen, Derek Eamus, Lindsay Beaumont Hutley · 发表于：Journal of Tropical Ecology · 年份：2004 · DOI：10.1017/s0266467403001135 · 被引用次数：68 · 研究领域：Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics、Pasture and Agricultural Systems、Plant nutrient uptake and metabolism

Fine roots and their turnover represent a dynamic aspect of below-ground biomass (BGB) and nutrient capital in forest ecosystems, and account for a significant fraction of net primary productivity (NPP) (Cuevas 1995, Vogt et al. 1990). On a weight basis, coarse roots contribute more to total ecosystem biomass than fine roots, but they account for only a small portion of annual root production (Eamus et al. 2002). Despite the fact that fine roots may compose less than 2% of total ecosystem biomass, they may contribute up to 40% of total ecosystem production (Vogt et al. 1990). Therefore, estimates of root production, like estimates of root biomass, should differentiate between coarse- and fine-root production.