Elucidating the role of fine roots in transferring reduced C into soil using a combination of transcriptomics and 13C analyses of tissue from the Duke FACE experiment
EMSL Project ID
48311
Abstract
Fine root turnover has been estimated to consume from 5 to >50% of forest productivity. The large range of uncertainty in these measurements is a consequence of a lack of understanding of what fine root orders function as ephemeral modules and which ones function as long-lived structural elements. Resolving this issue will require a detailed characterization of the structural and physiological differences among the 1st through 5th most distal developmental orders within the fine root system. We propose an integrated approach using root architectural analysis through imaging of soil monoliths in concert with individual root structural analysis, functional genomics, and quantification of root turnover by order using a 13C tracer approach to address three fundamental unanswered questions in fine-root biology. The questions we propose to answer are 1) what role do fine roots of different orders play in nutrient and water uptake, and mediating mycorrhizal relationships (i.e., how is the C cycle mechanistically linked to N biogeochemistry); 2) what is the rate of fine root C turnover of loblolly pine roots of different developmental orders and how are these rates influence by soil N fertilization; and 3) can patterns of C and N dynamics well-documented at the forest scale at Duke FACE be explained through functional gene analysis of fine roots and associated fungi. EMSL resources are essential to answering these proposed questions because the laboratory represents one of the only institutions that can bring an integrated suite of technologies and expertise to bear on this complex question. Results will represent a key contribution of EMSL to core BER objectives by facilitating a mechanistic understanding of the role of fine roots in transferring reduced C into the soil. EMSL will contribute to a novel approach for quantifying fine root turnover and longevity using 13C tracers. All of these accomplishments will contribute to improved predictive ability of soil and global carbon cycle models.
Project Details
Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Start Date
2014-10-01
End Date
2016-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Co-Investigator(s)