Distribution of root biomass in a low‐shrub pine bog

Abstract

The average stump and below‐ground biomass of pine was 1464 g/m²; 4% as fine roots (Ø<1 mm), 18% small roots (Ø=1–10 mm), 49% large roots (Ø>10 mm), and 29% stumps), which comprised 35% of the total biomass in the Scots pine stands. The average root length of pine was 728 m/m²: 71 % of this length was fine roots, 29% was small roots, and less than 1 % was large roots. Most of the fine pine roots (80%) were in the 0–10 cm peat layer. The root biomass of the field layer was 548 g/m², which comprised 47 % of the total field layer biomass. Characteristic features of the root systems were: high below‐ground/above‐ground ratios, rather low amounts of root biomass, shallow rooting, and relatively thin roots. Hummocks tended to have less roots in the 0–10 cm layer and more roots in the 10–20 cm layer than the hollows.

Key words:

• roots
• Pinus sylvestris
• field/bottom layer
• low‐shrub pine bog