Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-07T22:35:24.116Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Comparison of root and mycorrhizal characteristics in primary and secondary rainforest on a metamorphic soil in North Queensland, Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Michael S. Hopkins ,
Paul Reddell ,
Robert K. Hewett  and
Andrew W. Graham
Michael S. Hopkins
Affiliation:
Cooperative Research Centre for Tropical Rainforest Ecology & Management, CSIRO Tropical Forest Research Centre, Maunds Road, Atherton, Queensland 4883, Australia
Paul Reddell
Affiliation:
Cooperative Research Centre for Tropical Rainforest Ecology & Management, CSIRO Tropical Forest Research Centre, Maunds Road, Atherton, Queensland 4883, Australia
Robert K. Hewett
Affiliation:
Cooperative Research Centre for Tropical Rainforest Ecology & Management, CSIRO Tropical Forest Research Centre, Maunds Road, Atherton, Queensland 4883, Australia
Andrew W. Graham
Affiliation:
Cooperative Research Centre for Tropical Rainforest Ecology & Management, CSIRO Tropical Forest Research Centre, Maunds Road, Atherton, Queensland 4883, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Root biomass, root lengths, and mycorrhizal associations were compared in a series of primary and Acacia-dominated secondary rainforest stands on nutrient-poor, red podzolic soils developed from low grade Palaeozoic metasediments. Five soil cores to 200 mm depth were collected at random locations from each of 20 sites. Ten of these sites were in 20–25 m high closed secondary forest (30–40 y old) dominated by Acacia aulacocarpa and ten sites were located in primary, selectively-logged, rainforest (28–32 m tall). Arbuscular mycorrhizas were the only form of association found in the primary forest sites. Ectomycorrhizas dominated the secondary forest sites although arbuscular mycorrhizas were also present. The primary forest sites had significantly higher root biomass (34.4 ± 17.8 t ha-1) and root length (33,400 ± 3,200 km ha-1) than the secondary forests (11.6 ± 4.6 t ha-1 and 25,200 ± 4,800 km ha-1 respectively), and this was interpreted as a reflection of the greater allocation of biomass to roots necessary to support the greater above ground biomass. The specific root length in the secondary forest (340 ± 119 cm g-1) was twice that of the primary forest (154 ± 65 cm g-1) indicating that the trees in the secondary forests achieved a degree of soil exploration which was comparable to that in the primary forest with less than half the biomass allocation to roots. The dominance of ectomycorrhizas in the secondary forest was associated with the prevalence of Acacia aulacocarpa, and the results cannot be extended to other secondary forests in the region. The implications that the dominant ectomycorrhizal associations have for the patterns of successional development and the patterns of species colonization in these Acaria-dominated secondary forests are discussed.

Keywords

biomassmycorrhizasnutrientsrainforestrootssecondary forestspecific root lengthsuccession
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 12 , Issue 6 , November 1996 , pp. 871 - 885
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

LITERATURE CITED

Alexander, I. 1989. Mycorrhizas in tropical forests. Pp. 169–188 in Proctor, J. (ed.). Mineral nutrients in tropical forest and savanna ecosystems. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.Google Scholar
Alexander, I., Norani, A. & Lee, S. S. 1992. The role of mycorrhizas in the regeneration of some Malaysian forest trees. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, London, Series B 335:379–388.Google Scholar
Allen, E. B., Allen, M. F., Helm, D., Trappe, J. M., Molina, R. & Rincon, E. 1995. Patterns and regulation of mycorrhizal plant and fungal diversity. Plant and Soil 170:47–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anon., 1971. Climatic survey. Northern region 16 – Queensland. Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Berish, C. W. 1982. Root biomass and surface area in three successional tropical forests. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 12:699–704.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chauvel, A., Guillaumet, J. L. & Schubart, H. O. R. 1987. Importance et distribution des racines et des etres vivants dans un latosol argileux sous forêt amaxoniénne. Revue d'Ecologie et de Biologie du Sol 24:19–48.Google Scholar
Connell, J. H. & Lowman, M. D. 1989. Low-diversity tropical rain forests: some possible mechanisms for their existence. American Naturalist 134:88–119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cornforth, I. S. 1970. Reafforestation and nutrient reserves in the humid tropics. Journal of Applied Ecology 7:609–615.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, P. J. & Grubb, P. J. 1977. Studies of mineral cycling in a montane rain forest in New Guinea. I. The distribution of organic matter in the vegetation and soil. Journal of Ecology 65:943–969.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Golley, F. B., McGinnis, J. T., Clements, R. G., Child, G. I. & Deuver, M. J. 1975. Mineral cycling in a tropical moist forest ecosystem. University of Georgia Press, Athens. 248 pp.Google Scholar
Gower, S. T. 1987. Relations between mineral nutrient availability and fine root biomass in two Costa Rican tropical wet forests: a hypothesis. Biotropica 19:171–175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenland, D. J. & Kowal, J. M. L. 1960. Nutrient content of the moist tropical forest of Ghana. Plant and Soil 12:154–174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Henderson, R. A. & Stephenson, P. J. 1980. The geology and geophysics of north eastern Australia. Geological Society of Australia Incorporated, Queensland Division.Google Scholar
Högberg, P. 1982. Mycorrhizal associations of some woodland and forest trees and shrubs of Tanzania. New Phytologist 92:407–415.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Högberg, P. & Piearce, G. D. 1986. Mycorrhizas in Zambian trees in relation to host taxonomy, vegetation type and successional patterns. Journal of Ecology 74:775–785.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hozumi, K., Yoda, K., Kokawa, S. & Kira, T. 1969. Production ecology of tropical rain forests in southwestern Cambodia. 1. Plant biomass. Nature and Life in Southeast Asia 6:1–51.Google Scholar
Huttel, C. 1975. Root distribution and biomass in three ivory Coast rain forest plots. Pp. 123–130 in Golley, F. B. & Medina, E. (eds.). Tropical ecological systems: trends in terrestrial and aquatic research. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Janos, D. P. 1980. Mycorrhizae influence tropical succession. Biotropica 12 (Suppl.):56–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Janos, D. P. 1983. Tropical mycorrhizas, nutrient cycles and plant growth. Pp. 327–345 in Sutton, S. L., Whitmore, T. C. & Chadwick, A. C. (eds.). Tropical rainforest: ecology and management. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.Google Scholar
Johnson, N. C., Tilman, D. & Wedin, D. 1992. Plant and soil controls on myorrhizal fungal communities. Ecology 73:2034–2042.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kangas, P. 1992. Root regrowth in a subtropical wet forest in Puerto Rico. Biotropica 24:463–465.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klinge, H. 1973. Root mass estimation in lowland tropical rain forests of central Amazonia, Brasil. I Fine root masses of a pale yellow latosol and a giant humus podzol. Tropical Ecology 14:29–38.Google Scholar
Klinge, H. & Herrera, R. 1978. Biomass studies in Amazon caatinga forest in southern Venezuela. 1. Standing crop of composite root mass in selected stands. Tropical Ecology 19:93–110.Google Scholar
Laffan, M. D. 1988. Soils and land use on the Atherton Tableland, North Queensland. CSIRO Australia, Division of Soils. Soils and Land Use Series No. 61.Google Scholar
Lee, S. S. 1990. The mycorrhizal association of the Dipterocarpaceae in tropical rain forests of Malaysia. AMBIO 19:383–385.Google Scholar
Molina, R., Massicotte, H. B. & Trappe, J. M. 1992. Specificity phenomena in mycorrhizal symbioses: community-ecological consequences and practical implications. Pp. 357–423 in Allen, M. F. (ed.). Mycorrhizal functioning: an integrative plant-fungal process. Chapman & Hall, New York.Google Scholar
Newbery, D. M., Alexander, I. J., Thomas, D. W. & Gartlan, J. S. 1988. Ectomycorrhizal rain-forest legumes and soil phosphorus in Korup National Park, Cameroon. New Phytologist 109:433–450.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newman, E. I. 1966. A method for estimating the total length of root in a sample. Journal of Applied Ecology 3:139–145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ogawa, H., Yoda, I., Ogino, K. & Kira, T. 1965. Comparative ecological studies on three main types of forest vegetation in Thailand. II. Plant biomass. Nature and Life in Southeast Asia 4:49–80.Google Scholar
Ovington, J. D. & Olson, J. S. 1970. Biomass and chemical content of El Verde lower montane rain forest plants. Pp. H53–75 in Odum, H. T. & Pigeon, R. F. (eds.). A tropical rain forest. U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Oak Ridge.Google Scholar
Raich, J. W. 1983. Effects of forest conversion on the carbon budget of a tropical soil. Biotropica 15:177–184.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Read, D. J. 1991. Mycorrhizas in ecosystems. Experientia 47:376–390.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanford, R. L. 1987. Apogentropic roots in an Amazon rain forest. Science 235:1062–1064.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanford, R. L. 1989a. Fine root biomass under a tropical forest light gap opening in Costa Rica. Journal of Tropical Ecology 5:251–256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanford, R. L. 1989b. Root systems of three adjacent, old growth Amazon forests and associated transition zones. Journal of Tropical Forest Science 1:268–279.Google Scholar
St. John, T. V. & Coleman, D. C. 1983. The role of mycorrhizas in plant ecology. Canadian Journal of Botany 61:1005–1014.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
St. John, T. V. & Uhl, C. 1983. Mycorrhizae in the rain forest at San Carlos de Rio Negro, Venezuela. Acta Cientijka Venezolana 34:233–237.Google Scholar
Stark, N. & Jordan, C. F. 1978. Nutrient retention by the root mat of an Amazonian rain forest. Ecology 59:434–437.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stark, N. & Spratt, M. 1977. Root biomass and nutrient storage in rain forest oxisols near San Carlos de Rio Negro. Tropical Ecology 18:1–9.Google Scholar
Tracey, J. G. 1982. The vegetation of the humid tropical region of North Queensland. CSIRO Australia, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Trappe, J. M. 1987. Phylogenetic and ecologic aspects of mycotrophy in the angiosperms from an evolutionary standpoint. Pp. 5–25 in Safir, G. (ed.). Ecophysiology of VA mycorrhizal plants. CRC Press, Boca Raton. 224 pp.Google Scholar
Webb, L. J. 1959. A physiognomic classification of Australian rainforests. Journal of Ecology 47:551–570.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webb, L. J. 1968. Environmental relationships of the structural types of Australian rainforest vegetation. Ecology 49:296–311.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webb, L. J. 1978. A general classification of Australian rainforests. Australian Plants 9:349–363.Google Scholar