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Spatial distribution of fine roots and underground competition inCamellia oleifera-Vulpia myuros intercropping system.

DING Yi-fei1,2, CAO Yong-qing1*, YAO Xiao-hua1, WU Peng-fei1, GONG Hong-en1, FU Song-ling2, ZHANG Ping-an3   

  1. (1Research Institute of SubtropicalForestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Fuyang 311400, Zhejiang, China; 2College of Forestry and Gardening, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; 3Qingtian County Forestry Bureau, Qingtian 323900, Zhejiang, China).
  • Online:2018-04-10 Published:2018-04-10

Abstract: Using methods of field stratified excavation and image scanning, the spatial distribution of biomass and morphology of fine root (≤1 mm) ofCamellia oleiferaand Vulpia myuros in Camellia oleifera-Vulpia myuros intercropping system was examined. The underground competition between those two specieswas quantified by the niche overlap formula proposed by Levins. The results showed that  the fine root biomass ofC. oleiferawas 1.37 times as high as that of V. myuros, with average fine root biomass ofC. oleifera andV. myuros being 0.52 and 0.38 mg·cm-3,respectively.  In the horizontal direction, fine root biomass of C. oleifera decreased with increasing distance from trees, while the root length density and specific root length of C. oleifera increased with theincreases of distance from trees. Fine root biomass ofV. myuros decreased with the increases of distance from trees, and the root length density and specific root length showed an even distribution. The root length density ofV. myuros was greater than that ofC. oleifera at different distances from trees, whereas fine root biomass and competition index of C. oleifera were greater than that ofV. myuros except for the distance 90 cm.  In the vertical direction, fine root biomass ofC. oleifera first increased and then decreased with the deepening of soil layer, and the root length density increased with the soil layer, while the specific root length was evenly distributed. The fine root biomass and root length density ofV. myuros decreased with the deepening of the soil layer, while the specific root length increased with the soil layer. Except for the 0-10 cm layer, the fine root biomass and competition index of C. oleifera was greater than that ofV. myuros. Our results indicated that fine roots ofC. oleifera had higher plasticity to avoid competition and maximize uptake of soil resources in the intercropping system.

Key words: soil, aerated irrigation, emission control, nitrogen level, N2O, CO2