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Interspecific variation of tree root architecture in a temperate agroforestry system characterized using ground-penetrating radar

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Abstract

Background and aims

Root system architecture regulates belowground access to soil resources. Variation in root architecture is important in agroforestry systems given management objectives to optimize resource acquisition between trees and crops. However, the distributions of live tree roots in agroforestry systems remain understudied due to methodological constraints. In this study, we used ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to describe variation in whole-plant root architecture among tree species at the same agricultural site, with a specific focus on vertical coarse and fine root distributions within the zone of competition with neighbouring crops.

Methods

Using GPR, we detected coarse roots of five trees species (Quercus rubra L., Juglans nigra L., Populus deltoides × nigra DN177, Picea abies (L.) Karst, and Thuja occidentalis L.) at a tree-based intercropping system in southern Ontario, Canada. A subset of soil profiles were assessed for GPR accuracy. A cumulative root distribution function was used to estimate the rooting depth (D95) of coarse roots. We also measured tree coarse root distributions and fine root density distributions 2 m into the crop rows, in the zone of competition.

Results

GPR accurately detected approximately 58 % of coarse roots for each study tree. Coarse root architecture varied among species, with differences in D95 and rooting patterns. Fine root length density distribution also varied among species, but was consistently high at 0.10 and 0.20 m depths regardless of species.

Conclusions

Our results suggest differential tree suitability for minimizing belowground competition with crops. Additionally, we illustrate the viability of GPR to characterize vertical profiles of live tree root systems, which is critical for improving our understanding of whole-plant functional traits and belowground plant interactions.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. Naresh Thevathasan and Dr. Andrew Gordon at the University of Guelph Agroforestry Research Station. Stephanie Gagliardi provided research assistance in the field and laboratory. Two anonymous reviewers provided many excellent comments that improved the quality of this manuscript. Funding for this project was from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Greenhouse Gases Program, the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Toronto, and a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant to MEI.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, 33 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B3, Canada

    Kira A. Borden & Sean C. Thomas

  2. Department of Geography, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada

    Kira A. Borden & Marney E. Isaac

  3. Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1065 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada

    Marney E. Isaac

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  1. Kira A. Borden
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  2. Sean C. Thomas
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Correspondence to Marney E. Isaac.

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Responsible Editor: Alexia Stokes.

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Borden, K.A., Thomas, S.C. & Isaac, M.E. Interspecific variation of tree root architecture in a temperate agroforestry system characterized using ground-penetrating radar. Plant Soil 410, 323–334 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-3015-x

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