Nitrogen addition shifts fine root nutrient-acquisition strategies differently in ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal plantations: A case study of Pinus massoniana and Cunninghamia lanceolata
{"title":"Nitrogen addition shifts fine root nutrient-acquisition strategies differently in ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal plantations: A case study of Pinus massoniana and Cunninghamia lanceolata","authors":"Jing Wu, Xiaoxiang Zhao, Taidong Zhang, Shuai Ouyang, Liang Chen, Yelin Zeng, Huili Wu, Wenhua Xiang","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07473-9","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Aims</h3><p>Tree species associated with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) and arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) exhibit distinct strategies for nutrient acquisition. However, the effects of varying nitrogen (N) additions on the nutrient-acquisition strategies of fine roots in ECM and AM species have not been fully elucidated.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>We investigated fine root traits, mycorrhizal colonization rates, and rhizosphere enzyme activity in <i>Pinus massoniana</i> (ECM) and <i>Cunninghamia lanceolata</i> (AM) plantations at 16-year-old under five levels of N addition (0, 25, 50, 100 and 200 kg N ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup>).</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>The fine root biomass of <i>Pinus massoniana</i> (ECM) initially increased and then declined with increasing N additions, whereas that of <i>Cunninghamia lanceolata</i> (AM) exhibited a continuous increase. The specific root length (SRL) and root area (SRA) of <i>P. massoniana</i> did not significantly change with increasing levels of N, while those in <i>C. lanceolata</i> increased initially and then decreased. For both species, the mycorrhizal colonization rate decreased as the level of N addition increased. Furthermore, rhizosphere extracellular enzyme activity in <i>P. massoniana</i> increased at high N levels, while that in <i>C. lanceolata</i> increased at low N levels.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusions</h3><p>With increasing N addition, the fine roots of <i>C. lanceolata</i> shifted from prioritizing nutrient exploration efficiency (via SRL) to nutrient exploration quantity (via biomass), while the fine roots of <i>P. massoniana</i> initially relied on fine root biomass and mycorrhizal associations, eventually transitioning to exploration efficiency and a decoupling from mycorrhiza. Our findings enhance understanding of plant-soil interactions and provide insightful information for forest management under N deposition.</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Plant and Soil","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07473-9","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"AGRONOMY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Aims
Tree species associated with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) and arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) exhibit distinct strategies for nutrient acquisition. However, the effects of varying nitrogen (N) additions on the nutrient-acquisition strategies of fine roots in ECM and AM species have not been fully elucidated.
Methods
We investigated fine root traits, mycorrhizal colonization rates, and rhizosphere enzyme activity in Pinus massoniana (ECM) and Cunninghamia lanceolata (AM) plantations at 16-year-old under five levels of N addition (0, 25, 50, 100 and 200 kg N ha−1 yr−1).
Results
The fine root biomass of Pinus massoniana (ECM) initially increased and then declined with increasing N additions, whereas that of Cunninghamia lanceolata (AM) exhibited a continuous increase. The specific root length (SRL) and root area (SRA) of P. massoniana did not significantly change with increasing levels of N, while those in C. lanceolata increased initially and then decreased. For both species, the mycorrhizal colonization rate decreased as the level of N addition increased. Furthermore, rhizosphere extracellular enzyme activity in P. massoniana increased at high N levels, while that in C. lanceolata increased at low N levels.
Conclusions
With increasing N addition, the fine roots of C. lanceolata shifted from prioritizing nutrient exploration efficiency (via SRL) to nutrient exploration quantity (via biomass), while the fine roots of P. massoniana initially relied on fine root biomass and mycorrhizal associations, eventually transitioning to exploration efficiency and a decoupling from mycorrhiza. Our findings enhance understanding of plant-soil interactions and provide insightful information for forest management under N deposition.
期刊介绍:
Plant and Soil publishes original papers and review articles exploring the interface of plant biology and soil sciences, and that enhance our mechanistic understanding of plant-soil interactions. We focus on the interface of plant biology and soil sciences, and seek those manuscripts with a strong mechanistic component which develop and test hypotheses aimed at understanding underlying mechanisms of plant-soil interactions. Manuscripts can include both fundamental and applied aspects of mineral nutrition, plant water relations, symbiotic and pathogenic plant-microbe interactions, root anatomy and morphology, soil biology, ecology, agrochemistry and agrophysics, as long as they are hypothesis-driven and enhance our mechanistic understanding. Articles including a major molecular or modelling component also fall within the scope of the journal. All contributions appear in the English language, with consistent spelling, using either American or British English.