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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2023, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (7): 160-174.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2022316

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Effects of combined nitrogen and phosphorus application on root characteristics of alpine meadow

Xiao-qin LIAO(), Chang-ting WANG(), Dan LIU, Guo TANG, Jun MAO   

  1. Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,Southwest Minzu University,Chengdu 610041,China
  • Received:2022-08-09 Revised:2022-10-31 Online:2023-07-20 Published:2023-05-26
  • Contact: Chang-ting WANG

Abstract:

The root system is a vital organ for plants to fix and support plant body, and it is also an important carbon pool in grassland ecosystems. In order to better understand the growth characteristics, carbon allocation pattern and nutrient cycle of roots in alpine meadow, we analyzed the morphological characteristics and physiological functions of roots with different diameters under four levels of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) application rates. The minirhizotron observation method was applied to monitor the dynamics of root standing crop, production, death and turnover under CK (0 g·m-2 fertilizer), NP10 (N 5 g·m-2+P 5 g·m-2), NP20 (N 10 g·m-2+P 10 g·m-2) andNP30 (N 15 g·m-2+P 15 g·m-2) treatments in northwest Sichuan, and the relationships between root characteristics and environmental properties were examined. The results showed that: 1) The standing crop of the total roots differed significantly between soil horizons. In 0-10 cm, fertilization (NP10, NP20, NP30) reduced the standing crop of roots ≤0.3 mm significantly, and NP30 reduced the standing crop of the total roots as well as the roots >0.3 mm significantly; In 10-20 cm, the standing crop of the total roots as well as the roots >0.3 mm in NP20 were significantly higher than that in other treatments (P<0.05). 2) There were significant differences in total root production and mortality between soil layers. In 0-10 cm, the production and mortality of the roots ≤0.3 mm varied slightly, while the mortality of the roots >0.3 mm increased significantly in NP30; In 10-20 cm, the production and mortality of the roots ≤0.3 mm in fertilization treatments were significantly lower than that in CK, and the production and mortality of the roots >0.3 mm in NP20 and NP30 were significantly higher than that in CK (P<0.05). 3) The root turnover varied insignificantly between soil horizons and fertilization treatments, but the turnover of the roots ≤0.3 mm was higher than that of the roots >0.3 mm. 4) The structural equation model suggested that the root standing crop and production were directly affected by the soil nutrients (total carbon and total nitrogen) and the root diameter, and the soil nutrients had a positive effect on root turnover. In summary, the combined N and P application had significant effects on the total root standing crop and mortality. Low and middle levels of NP (NP10 and NP20) application could reduce the biomass allocation of roots ≤0.3 mm while invest more to enhance the biomass of roots >0.3 mm. High level of NP (NP30) application could reduce both coarse and fine root biomass and increase root mortality, thus reducing root carbon accumulation.

Key words: combined application of nitrogen and phosphorus, root diameter, root characteristics, minirhizotron, alpine meadow