© 2001 Heron Publishing—Victoria, Canada
Vertical distribution of fine root density, length density, area index and mean diameter in a Quercus ilex forest
B. López (1, 2, 3), S. Sabaté (1, 2) and C. A. Gracia (1, 2)
1. Departament d’ Ecologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avgda. Diagonal, 645-08028 Barcelona, Spain / 2. Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), Edifici Ciències, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain / 3. CEFE-CNRS DREAM Unit, 1919, Rue de Mande, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France / Received July 24, 2000
Summary
We used minirhizotrons to determine the vertical distribution of fine roots in a holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) forest in a typical Mediterranean area over a 3-year period (June 1994–March 1997). We measured fine root density (number
of roots per unit area), fine root length density (length of roots per unit area), fine root area index (area of roots per
unit area) and fine root mean diameter. Variables were pooled for each 10-cm depth interval to a depth of 60 cm. Fine roots
tended to decrease with increasing depth except between 0 and 10 cm, where the values of all fine root variables were less
than in the 10-cm stratum below. Fine root vertical distribution was compared with soil water content and soil temperature
at different depths in the soil profile.
Keywords:
holm oak, minirhizotron, soil water.
