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Cornejo NS, Becker JN, Hemp A, Hertel D. Effects of land-use change and disturbance on the fine root biomass, dynamics, morphology, and related C and N fluxes to the soil of forest ecosystems at different elevations at Mt. Kilimanjaro (Tanzania). Oecologia 2023; 201:1089-1107. [PMID: 36944897 PMCID: PMC10113319 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05353-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Tropical forests are threatened by anthropogenic activities such as conversion into agricultural land, logging and fires. Land-use change and disturbance affect ecosystems not only aboveground, but also belowground including the ecosystems' carbon and nitrogen cycle. We studied the impact of different types of land-use change (intensive and traditional agroforestry, logging) and disturbance by fire on fine root biomass, dynamics, morphology, and related C and N fluxes to the soil via fine root litter across different ecosystems at different elevational zones at Mt. Kilimanjaro (Tanzania). We found a decrease in fine root biomass (80-90%), production (50%), and C and N fluxes to the soil via fine root litter (60-80%) at all elevation zones. The traditional agroforestry 'Chagga homegardens' (lower montane zone) showed enhanced fine root turnover rates, higher values of acquisitive root morphological traits, but similar stand fine root production, C and N fluxes compared to the natural forest. The decrease of C and N fluxes with forest disturbance was particularly strong at the upper montane zone (60 and 80% decrease, respectively), where several patches of Podocarpus forest had been disturbed by fire in the previous years. We conclude that changes on species composition, stand structure and land management practices resulting from land-use change and disturbance have a strong impact on the fine root system, modifying fine root biomass, production and the C and N supply to the soil from fine root litter, which strongly affects the ecosystems' C and N cycle in those East African tropical forest ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Sierra Cornejo
- Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, Albrecht-Von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, University of La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain
| | - Joscha N Becker
- Institute of Soil Science, CEN Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Hemp
- Department of Plant Physiology, Bayreuth University, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Dietrich Hertel
- Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, Albrecht-Von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
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2
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The Coffee Compromise: Is Agricultural Expansion into Tree Plantations a Sustainable Option? SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14053019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In tropical regions, land-use pressures between natural forest, commercial tree plantations, and agricultural land for rural communities are widespread. One option is to increase the functionality of commercial plantations by allowing agroforestry within them by rural communities. Such land-sharing options could address wider societal and environmental issues and reduce pressure on natural forest. To investigate the trade-offs involved, we used InVEST to model the ecosystem services provided by growing coffee under commercial pine plantations in Indonesia against other land-use options. Pine–coffee agroforestry provided worse supporting and regulating services (carbon, sediment and nitrogen retention, catchment runoff) than natural forest; however, it provided greater provisioning services (product yield) directly to smallholders. Converting pine monoculture into pine-coffee agroforestry led to increases in all ecosystem services, although there was an increased risk to water quality. Compared with coffee and root crop monocultures, pine–coffee agroforestry provided higher levels of supporting and regulating services; however, product yields were lower. Thus, opening up pine plantations for agroforestry realises additional income-generating opportunities for rural communities, provides wider ecosystem service benefits, and reduces pressure for land-use change. Lower smallholder yields could be addressed through the management of shade levels or through Payments for Ecosystem Services schemes.
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3
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Gagliardi S, Avelino J, Fulthorpe R, Virginio Filho EDM, Isaac ME. No evidence of foliar disease impact on crop root functional strategies and soil microbial communities: what does this mean for organic coffee? OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacques Avelino
- CIRAD, UMR PHIM Montpellier France
- PHIM, Univ. Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Inst. Agro, IRD Montpellier France
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4
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Cambou A, Thaler P, Clément-Vidal A, Barthès BG, Charbonnier F, Van den Meersche K, Aguilar Vega ME, Avelino J, Davrieux F, Labouisse JP, de Melo Virginio Filho E, Deleporte P, Brunet D, Lehner P, Roupsard O. Concurrent starch accumulation in stump and high fruit production in coffee (Coffea arabica). TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 41:2308-2325. [PMID: 34046676 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpab075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In coffee, fruit production on a given shoot drops after some years of high yield, triggering pruning to induce resprouting. The timing of pruning is a crucial farmer's decision affecting yield and labour. One reason for fruit production drop could be the exhaustion of resources, particularly the non-structural carbohydrates (NSC). To test this hypothesis in a Coffea L. arabica agroforestry system, we measured the concentrations of NSC, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in leaves, stems and stumps of the coffee plants, 2 and 5 years after pruning. We also compared shaded vs full sun plants. For that purpose, both analytical reference and visible and near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (VNIRS) methods were used. As expected, concentrations of biochemical variables linked to photosynthesis activity (N, glucose, fructose, sucrose) decreased from leaves to stems, and then to stumps. In contrast, variables linked more closely to plant structure and reserves (total C, C:N ratio, starch concentration) were higher in long lifespan organs like stumps. Shading had little effect on most measured parameters, contrary to expectations. Concentrations of N, glucose and fructose were higher in 2-year-old organs. Conversely, starch concentration in perennial stumps was three times higher 5 years after pruning than 2 years after pruning, despite high fruit production. Therefore, the drop in fruit production occurring after 5-6 years was not due to a lack of NSC on plant scale. Starch accumulation in perennial organs concurrently to other sinks, such as fruit growth, could be considered as a 'survival' strategy, which may be a relic of the behaviour of wild coffee (a tropical shade-tolerant plant). This study confirmed that VNIRS is a promisingly rapid and cost-effective option for starch monitoring (coefficient of determination for validation, R2val = 0.91), whereas predictions were less accurate for soluble sugars, probably due to their too similar spectral signature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Cambou
- Eco&Sols, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, IRD, Institut Agro, place Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
| | - Philippe Thaler
- Eco&Sols, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, IRD, Institut Agro, place Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols, place Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
| | - Anne Clément-Vidal
- CIRAD, UMR AGAP Institut, avenue Agropolis, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
- UMR AGAP Institut, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, avenue Agropolis, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Bernard G Barthès
- Eco&Sols, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, IRD, Institut Agro, place Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
| | - Fabien Charbonnier
- Eco&Sols, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, IRD, Institut Agro, place Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols, place Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
- CONACyT El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Carretera panamericana y periférico sur s/n, Barrio María Auxiliadora, 29290 San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, México
| | - Karel Van den Meersche
- Eco&Sols, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, IRD, Institut Agro, place Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols, place Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
- CATIE, Agroforestry and Coffee and Cocoa Breeding Research Unit, 7170 Turrialba, 30501 Cartago, Costa Rica
| | - Maria E Aguilar Vega
- CATIE, Agroforestry and Coffee and Cocoa Breeding Research Unit, 7170 Turrialba, 30501 Cartago, Costa Rica
| | - Jacques Avelino
- CATIE, Agroforestry and Coffee and Cocoa Breeding Research Unit, 7170 Turrialba, 30501 Cartago, Costa Rica
- CIRAD, UMR PHIM, 7170 Turrialba, 30501 Cartago, Costa Rica
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, avenue Agropolis, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Fabrice Davrieux
- Qualisud, Univ Montpellier, Avignon Université, CIRAD, Institut Agro, Université de La Réunion, rue Jean-François Breton, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
- CIRAD, UMR Qualisud, rue Joseph Wetzell, 97490 Sainte-Clotilde, Réunion, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Labouisse
- CIRAD, UMR AGAP Institut, avenue Agropolis, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
- UMR AGAP Institut, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, avenue Agropolis, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | | | - Philippe Deleporte
- Eco&Sols, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, IRD, Institut Agro, place Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols, place Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
| | - Didier Brunet
- Eco&Sols, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, IRD, Institut Agro, place Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
| | - Peter Lehner
- Cafetalera Aquiares S.A., 7150 Turrialba, 30501 Cartago, Costa Rica
| | - Olivier Roupsard
- Eco&Sols, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, IRD, Institut Agro, place Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
- CATIE, Agroforestry and Coffee and Cocoa Breeding Research Unit, 7170 Turrialba, 30501 Cartago, Costa Rica
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols, Route des Hydrocarbures, BP 1386, Dakar CP 18524, Senegal
- LMI IESOL, Centre IRD-ISRA de Bel Air, Route des Hydrocarbures, BP 1386, CP 18524, Dakar, Senegal
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Quantifying the Annual Cycle of Water Use Efficiency, Energy and CO2 Fluxes Using Micrometeorological and Physiological Techniques for a Coffee Field in Costa Rica. FORESTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/f12070889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Coffee is one of the most commonly traded agricultural commodities globally. It is important for the livelihoods of over 25 million families worldwide, but it is also a crop sensitive to climate change, which has forced producers to implement management practices with effects on carbon balance and water use efficiency (WUE) that are not well understood due to data scarcity. From this perspective, we propose crop canopy coupling to the atmosphere (Ώ) as an index of resilience and stability. We undertook an integrated observational approach for the scaling-up of measurements along the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum at different stages of the coffee crop phenological cycle. Additionally, we develop this perspective under pronounced climatic seasonality and variability, in order to assess carbon balance, WUE, and agroecosystem resilience in a sun-grown coffee field. Further, we devised a field layout that facilitates the measurement of intrinsic, instantaneous, and actual water use efficiency and the assessment of whether coffee fields differ in canopy structure, complexity, and agronomic management and whether they are carbon sources or sinks. Partitioning soil and canopy energy balances and fluxes in a sun-grown coffee field using eco-physiological techniques at the leaf and whole plant levels (i.e., sap flow and gas exchange), as proposed here, will allow the scaling-up to whole fields in the future. Eddy covariance was used to assess real-time surface fluxes of carbon, gross primary productivity (GPP), and evapotranspiration, as well as components of the energy balance and WUE. The preliminary results support the approach used here and suggested that coffee fields are CO2 sinks throughout the year, especially during fruit development, and that the influence of seasonality drives the surface–atmosphere coupling, which is dominant prior to and during the first half of the rainy season. The estimated WUE showed consistency with independent studies in coffee crops and a marked seasonality driven by the features of the rainy season. A plan for the arborization of the coffee agroecosystem is suggested and the implications for WUE are described. Future comparison of sun- and shade-grown coffee fields and incorporation of other variables (i.e., crop coefficient-KC for different leaf area index (LAI) values) will allow us to better understand the factors controlling WUE in coffee agroecosystems.
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Mu XH, Huang G, Li Y, Zheng XJ, Xu GQ, Wu X, Wang Y, Liu Y. Population Dynamics and Life History Response to Precipitation Changes for a Desert Ephemeral Plant With Biseasonal Germination. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:625475. [PMID: 33633767 PMCID: PMC7901992 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.625475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The changing availability of water resources and frequent extreme drought events in the context of global change will have a profound impact on desert vegetation, especially on herbaceous populations such as ephemerals. Erodium oxyrrhynchum is the dominant species in the Gurbantunggut Desert. It can germinate both in spring and autumn, which is important for herbaceous layer coverage and productivity. Therefore, we tracked and recorded the survival and reproduction of the E. oxyrrhynchum population under different precipitation treatments and established a population matrix model, monitored the allometry and leaf traits of the plants, and compared the performance of spring-germinating and autumn-germinating plants. Our results showed that: (1) The population dynamics were significantly affected by precipitation changes; (2) drought reduced the survival rate of the plants and accelerated the completion of their life history; (3) precipitation had a significant effect on seed production and growth rate, but not on plant height and allometry; (4) biomass, leaf area, specific leaf area, and 100-grain weight of E. oxyrrhynchum also responded to changes in precipitation; and (5) autumn-germinated plants had higher productivity, whereas spring-germinated plants exhibited higher reproductive efficiency, indicating that they had difference life history strategies. In conclusion, our results suggested that, although frequent or prolonged drought can significantly inhibit population growth, species with biseasonal germination are likely to be less affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Han Mu
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology/Fukang Station of Desert Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Gang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology/Fukang Station of Desert Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Yan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology/Fukang Station of Desert Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Xin-Jun Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology/Fukang Station of Desert Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Gui-Qing Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology/Fukang Station of Desert Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Xue Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology/Fukang Station of Desert Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yugang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology/Fukang Station of Desert Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Yan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology/Fukang Station of Desert Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
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方 小. Effects of Nitrogen Increase and Precipitation Changes on Early Spring Plants under Global Climate Change: A Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.12677/ije.2021.104068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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8
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Do Coffee Agroforestry Systems Always Improve Soil Carbon Stocks Deeper in the Soil?—A Case Study from Turrialba, Costa Rica. FORESTS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/f11010049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Shaded perennial agroforestry systems (AFS) are regarded as desirable land-use practices that improve soil carbon sequestration. However, most studies assume a positive correlation between above ground and below ground carbon without considering the effect of past and current land management, textural variations (silt and clay percentage), and such other site-specific factors that have a major influence on the extent of soil C sequestration. We assessed SOC stock at various depths (0–10, 10–30, 30–60, and 60–100 cm) in shaded perennial coffee (Coffea arabica L.) AFS in a 17-year-old experimental field at the Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza, (9°53′44′′ N, 83°40′7′′ W; soil type: Ultisols and Inceptisols, Turrialba, Costa Rica. The treatments included coffee (Coffea arabica L.) grown conventionally (with chemical fertilizers) and organically (without chemical fertilizers) under two shade trees, Erythrina poeppigiana (Walp.) O.F. Cook., and Terminalia Amazonia J.F.Gmel., Sun Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) (Sole stand of coffee without shade), and Native Forest. Three replicated composite soil samples were collected from each system for each depth class, and SOC stocks in three soil aggregate fractions (2000–250 µm, 250–53 µm, and <53 µm) and in the whole soil determined. The total SOC stocks were highest under forest (146.6 Mg C ha−1) and lowest under sun coffee (92.5 Mg C ha−1). No significant differences were noted in SOC stock within coffee AFS and sun coffee across fraction sizes and depth classes. Organic management of coffee under heavily pruned E. poeppigiana, with pruned litter returned to soil, increased SOC stocks for 0–10 cm depth soil only. High input of organic materials including pruned litter did not improve SOC stocks in deeper soil, whereas variations in silt and clay percentages had a significant effect on SOC stocks. The study suggests that high amounts of aboveground biomass alone are not a good indicator of increased SOC storage in AFS, particularly for soils of sites with historical characteristics and management similar to this study.
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Chen Y, Zhang L, Shi X, Ban Y, Liu H, Zhang D. Life history responses of spring-and autumn-germinated ephemeral plants to increased nitrogen and precipitation in the Gurbantunggut Desert. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 659:756-763. [PMID: 31096405 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Revised: 12/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen deposition and precipitation change are not only hot topics of current global change but also the main environmental factors affecting plant growth. Thus, the effects of nitrogen and precipitation on the life history of spring-(SG) and autumn-germinated (AG) ephemeral plants of Erodium oxyrhynchum were researched in the Gurbantunggut Desert, northern China, and the aim was to understand the response of plants from different germination seasons to global change. SG and AG plants with increased nitrogen and precipitation plus nitrogen treatments were measured to determine seedling survival, phenology, plant traits, biomass accumulation and allocation and dormancy characteristics of offspring (seeds). The results showed that increased nitrogen and precipitation plus nitrogen treatments significantly improved the survival of SG and AG plants during the seedling stage, and precipitation plus nitrogen treatments also improved the growth and seed production of SG and AG plants, but increased nitrogen significantly inhibited their growth and seed production. Therefore, precipitation plays an important role in regulating nitrogen uptake by plants in arid and semiarid ecosystems. With increased nitrogen, SG and AG plants allocated more biomass into root and reproductive organs but allocated significantly less biomass into the leaf, with almost no change in biomass allocation to the stem. With nitrogen plus precipitation treatments, biomass allocation in all organs of SG and AG plants showed almost no change. Clearly, changes in soil moisture also affected biomass allocation of SG and AG plants. For offspring dormancy, SG and AG plants produced more nondormancy seeds with increased nitrogen but produced more dormancy seeds under precipitation plus nitrogen treatments. Hence, in a harsh environment, SG and AG plants produced more nondormancy offspring with low reproduction in order to occupy the habitat rapidly in the following year or produced more dormancy offspring with high reproduction in a suitable environment intended for spreading germination risk in time and conserve the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfeng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urümqi 830011, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lingwei Zhang
- College of Grassland and Environment Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Soil and Plant Ecological Processes, Urümqi 830052, China
| | - Xiang Shi
- College of Agriculture, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
| | - Ying Ban
- Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urümqi 830011, China
| | - Huiliang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urümqi 830011, China; Yili Botanical Garden, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Xinyuan 835800, China.
| | - Daoyuan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urümqi 830011, China; Turpan Eremophytes Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Turpan 838008, China
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10
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Niether W, Schneidewind U, Fuchs M, Schneider M, Armengot L. Below- and aboveground production in cocoa monocultures and agroforestry systems. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 657:558-567. [PMID: 30550918 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Revised: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Farmers expect yield reduction of cash crops like cocoa when growing in agroforestry systems compared to monocultures, due to competition for resources, e.g. nutrients and water. However, complementarities between species in the use of resources may improve resource use efficiency and result in higher system performance. Cocoa trees have a shallow rooting system while the rooting characteristics of the associated trees are mainly unknown. This work investigates fine root distribution and production in five cocoa production systems: two monocultures and two agroforestry systems under conventional and organic farming, and a successional agroforestry system. In the organic systems a perennial leguminous cover crop was planted and compost was added, while herbicides and chemical fertilizers were applied in the conventional ones. We measured cocoa fine root parameters in the top 10cm of soil and annual total fine root production at 0-25 and 25-50cm depth. We related the root data with both the aboveground performance (tree and herbaceous biomass), and the cocoa and system yields. Cocoa fine roots were homogenously distributed over the plot area. Around 80% of the total fine roots were located in the upper 25cm of soil. The total fine root production was 4-times higher in the agroforestry systems and the organic monoculture than in the conventional monoculture. The roots of the associated tree species were located in the same soil space as the cocoa roots and, in principle, competed for the same soil resources. The cocoa yield was lower in the agroforestry systems, but the additional crops generated a higher system yield and aboveground biomass than the conventional cocoa monocultures, implying effective resource exploitation. The leguminous cover crop in the organic monoculture competed with the cocoa trees for nutrients, which may explain the lower cocoa yield in this system in contrast with the conventional monoculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiebke Niether
- University of Goettingen, Institute of Geography, Goldschmidtstrasse 5, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Ulf Schneidewind
- University of Goettingen, Institute of Geography, Goldschmidtstrasse 5, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Fuchs
- University of Kassel, Steinstrasse 19, 35213 Witzenhausen, Germany
| | - Monika Schneider
- Forschungsinstitut für Biologischen Landbau (FiBL), Department of International Cooperation, Ackerstrasse 113, Postfach 219, 5070 Frick, Switzerland
| | - Laura Armengot
- Forschungsinstitut für Biologischen Landbau (FiBL), Department of International Cooperation, Ackerstrasse 113, Postfach 219, 5070 Frick, Switzerland
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11
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Charbonnier F, Roupsard O, le Maire G, Guillemot J, Casanoves F, Lacointe A, Vaast P, Allinne C, Audebert L, Cambou A, Clément-Vidal A, Defrenet E, Duursma RA, Jarri L, Jourdan C, Khac E, Leandro P, Medlyn BE, Saint-André L, Thaler P, Van Den Meersche K, Barquero Aguilar A, Lehner P, Dreyer E. Increased light-use efficiency sustains net primary productivity of shaded coffee plants in agroforestry system. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2017; 40:1592-1608. [PMID: 28382683 DOI: 10.1111/pce.12964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 03/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In agroforestry systems, shade trees strongly affect the physiology of the undergrown crop. However, a major paradigm is that the reduction in absorbed photosynthetically active radiation is, to a certain extent, compensated by an increase in light-use efficiency, thereby reducing the difference in net primary productivity between shaded and non-shaded plants. Due to the large spatial heterogeneity in agroforestry systems and the lack of appropriate tools, the combined effects of such variables have seldom been analysed, even though they may help understand physiological processes underlying yield dynamics. In this study, we monitored net primary productivity, during two years, on scales ranging from individual coffee plants to the entire plot. Absorbed radiation was mapped with a 3D model (MAESPA). Light-use efficiency and net assimilation rate were derived for each coffee plant individually. We found that although irradiance was reduced by 60% below crowns of shade trees, coffee light-use efficiency increased by 50%, leaving net primary productivity fairly stable across all shade levels. Variability of aboveground net primary productivity of coffee plants was caused primarily by the age of the plants and by intraspecific competition among them (drivers usually overlooked in the agroforestry literature) rather than by the presence of shade trees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Charbonnier
- CONACyT research fellow, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, San Cristóbal de las Casas, 29290, Chiapas, Mexico
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols, F-34398, Montpellier, France
| | - Olivier Roupsard
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols, F-34398, Montpellier, France
- CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza), 7170, Turrialba, Costa Rica
| | | | | | - Fernando Casanoves
- CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza), 7170, Turrialba, Costa Rica
| | - André Lacointe
- Inra, Université Blaise Pascal, UMR 547 PIAF, F-63100, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Philippe Vaast
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols, F-34398, Montpellier, France
- World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), United Nations Avenue, PO Box 30677, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Clémentine Allinne
- CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza), 7170, Turrialba, Costa Rica
- CIRAD, Inra, SupAgro-Montpellier, UMR System, 34060, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Remko A Duursma
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, 2751, New South West, Australia
| | - Laura Jarri
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols, F-34398, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | - Patricia Leandro
- CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza), 7170, Turrialba, Costa Rica
| | - Belinda E Medlyn
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, 2751, New South West, Australia
| | - Laurent Saint-André
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols, F-34398, Montpellier, France
- Inra, Biogéochimie des Ecosystèmes Forestiers, F-54280, Champenoux, France
| | | | - Karel Van Den Meersche
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols, F-34398, Montpellier, France
- CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza), 7170, Turrialba, Costa Rica
| | | | - Peter Lehner
- Cafetalera Aquiares S.A., PO Box 362-7150, Turrialba, 7150, Costa Rica
| | - Erwin Dreyer
- Inra, Université de Lorraine, UMR 1137 'Ecologie et Ecophysiologie Forestières', F54280, Champenoux, France
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12
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Isaac ME, Martin AR, de Melo Virginio Filho E, Rapidel B, Roupsard O, Van den Meersche K. Intraspecific Trait Variation and Coordination: Root and Leaf Economics Spectra in Coffee across Environmental Gradients. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:1196. [PMID: 28747919 PMCID: PMC5506091 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Hypotheses on the existence of a universal "Root Economics Spectrum" (RES) have received arguably the least attention of all trait spectra, despite the key role root trait variation plays in resource acquisition potential. There is growing interest in quantifying intraspecific trait variation (ITV) in plants, but there are few studies evaluating (i) the existence of an intraspecific RES within a plant species, or (ii) how a RES may be coordinated with other trait spectra within species, such as a leaf economics spectrum (LES). Using Coffea arabica (Rubiaceae) as a model species, we measured seven morphological and chemical traits of intact lateral roots, which were paired with information on four key LES traits. Field collections were completed across four nested levels of biological organization. The intraspecific trait coefficient of variation (cv) ranged from 25 to 87% with root diameter and specific root tip density showing the lowest and highest cv, respectively. Between 27 and 68% of root ITV was explained by site identity alone for five of the seven traits measured. A single principal component explained 56.2% of root trait covariation, with plants falling along a RES from resource acquiring to conserving traits. Multiple factor analysis revealed significant orthogonal relationships between root and leaf spectra. RES traits were strongly orthogonal with respect to LES traits, suggesting these traits vary independently from one another in response to environmental cues. This study provides among the first evidence that plants from the same species differentiate from one another along an intraspecific RES. We find that in one of the world's most widely cultivated crops, an intraspecific RES is orthogonal to an intraspecific LES, indicating that above and belowground responses of plants to managed (or natural) environmental gradients are likely to occur independently from one another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marney E. Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Critical Development Studies, University of Toronto Scarborough, TorontoON, Canada
- Department of Geography, University of Toronto, TorontoON, Canada
| | - Adam R. Martin
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Critical Development Studies, University of Toronto Scarborough, TorontoON, Canada
| | | | - Bruno Rapidel
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialba, Costa Rica
- CIRAD, UMR SYSTEMMontpellier, France
| | - Olivier Roupsard
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialba, Costa Rica
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&SolsMontpellier, France
| | - Karel Van den Meersche
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialba, Costa Rica
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&SolsMontpellier, France
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13
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Mosca E, Montecchio L, Barion G, Dal Cortivo C, Vamerali T. Combined effects of thinning and decline on fine root dynamics in a Quercus robur L. forest adjoining the Italian Pre-Alps. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2017; 119:1235-1246. [PMID: 28334145 PMCID: PMC5604614 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcx007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Oak decline is a complex phenomenon, characterized by symptoms of canopy transparency, bark cracks and root biomass reduction. Root health status is one of the first stress indicators, and root turnover is a key process in plant adaptation to unfavourable conditions. In this study, the combined effects of decline and thinning were evaluated on fine root dynamics in an oak forest adjoining the Italian Pre-Alps by comparison of acute declining trees with non-declining trees, both with and without thinning treatment of surrounding trees. METHODS Dynamics of volumetric root length density (RLD V ) and tip density (RTD V ), root tip density per unit length of root (RTD L ), diameter, branching index (BI) and mycorrhizal colonization were monitored by soil coring over 2 years as possible descriptors of decline. KEY RESULTS At the beginning of the experiment, the relationship between canopy transparency and root status was weak, declining trees having slightly lower RLD V (-20 %) and RTD V (-11 %). After a 1 year lag, during which the parameters were almost unaffected, BI and RLD V , together with tip density, tip vitality and mycorrhizal colonization, became the descriptors most representative of both decline class and thinning. Thinning of declining trees increased RLD V (+12 %) and RTD V (+32 %), but reduced tip mycorrhizal colonization and vitality over time compared with non-thinned trees, whereas the opposite occurred in healthy trees, together with a marked decrease in branching. After thinning, there was an initial reduction in the structure of the ectomycorrhizal community, although recovery occurred about 10 months later, regardless of decline severity. CONCLUSIONS Decline causes losses of fine root length, and a moderate recovery can be achieved by thinning, allowing better soil exploration by oak roots. The close correlation between root vitality and mycorrhizal colonization and their deterioration after thinning indicates that decline does not benefit from reduced root competition, excluding the hypothesis of limited water and nutrient availability as a possible cause of the syndrome in this forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Mosca
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bolzano, Piazza Università 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
- Research and Innovation Centre, Edmund Mach Foundation, Via E. Mach 1, 38010 S. Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - L. Montecchio
- Department of Landscape and Agroforestry Systems, University of Padua, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padua, Italy
| | - G. Barion
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and the Environment, University of Padua, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padua, Italy
| | - C. Dal Cortivo
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and the Environment, University of Padua, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padua, Italy
| | - T. Vamerali
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and the Environment, University of Padua, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padua, Italy
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Ryan PR, Delhaize E, Watt M, Richardson AE. Plant roots: understanding structure and function in an ocean of complexity. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2016; 118:555-559. [PMCID: PMC5055641 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcw192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2016] [Revised: 08/06/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Background The structure and function of plant roots and their interactions with soil are exciting scientific frontiers that will ultimately reveal much about our natural systems, global water and mineral and carbon cycles, and help secure food supplies into the future. This Special Issue presents a collection of papers that address topics at the forefront of our understanding of root biology. Scope These papers investigate how roots cope with drought, nutrient deficiencies, toxicities and soil compaction as well as the interactions that roots have with soil microorganisms. Roots of model plant species, annual crops and perennial species are studied in short-term experiments through to multi-year trials. Spatial scales range from the gene up to farming systems and nutrient cycling. The diverse, integrated approaches described by these studies encompass root genetics as applied to soil management, as well as documenting the signalling processes occurring between roots and shoots and between roots and soil. Conclusions This Special Issue on roots presents invited reviews and research papers covering a span of topics ranging from fundamental aspects of anatomy, growth and water uptake to roots in crop and pasture systems. Understanding root structure and function and adaptation to the abiotic and biotic stresses encountered in field conditions is important for sustainable agricultural production and better management of natural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter R. Ryan
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- *For correspondence. E-mail
| | - Emmanuel Delhaize
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Michelle Watt
- Plant Sciences Institute, Bio and Geo Sciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
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