Fine-root seasonal pattern, production and turnover rate of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stands in Italy Prealps: Possible implications of coppice conversion to high forest

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible effects of coppice conversion to high forest on the beech fine-root systems. We compared the seasonal pattern of live and dead fine-root mass (d < 2 mm), production and turnover in three beech stands that differed in management practices. Tree density was higher in the 40-year-old coppice stand than in the stands that were converted from coppice to high forest in 1994 and 2004, respectively. We found that a reduction in tree density reduced the total fine-root biomass (Coppice stand, 353.8 g m⁻²; Conversion 1994 stand, 203.6 g m⁻²; Conversion 2004 stand, 176.2 g m⁻²) which continued to be characterised by a bimodal pattern with two major peaks, one in spring and one in early fall. Conversion to high forest may also affect the fine-root soil depth distribution. Both fine-root production and turnover rate were sensitive to management practices. They were lower in the Coppice stand (production 131.5 g m⁻² year⁻¹; turnover rate 0.41 year⁻¹) than in the converted stands (1994 Conversion stand: production 232 g m⁻² year⁻¹, turnover rate 1.06 year⁻¹; 2004 Conversion stand: production 164.2 g m⁻² year⁻¹, turnover rate 0.79 year⁻¹).

Keywords:

• Conversion to high forest
• Fagus sylvatica L.
• fine-root production
• fine-root seasonal pattern
• fine-root turnover rate

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Dr Samanta Riva for her valuable help in the field and laboratory work, to Dr Davide Beccarelli and Dr Lorenzo Guerci from Consorzio Forestale “Lario Intelvese” for helping with the field work and data on forest management, to Jean Ann Gilder (Scientific Communication srl) for editing the manuscript. This work was supported in part by the Italian Ministry of Environment (project “Trees and Italian forests, sinks of carbon and biodiversity, for the reduction of atmospheric CO₂ and improvement of environmental quality”) and Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (PRIN 2008 project “Cellular and molecular events controlling the emission of new root apices in root characterised by a secondary structure”). The authors are also indebted to the Italian Botanic Society Onlus for supporting this research.