naa a22 4500 510737501 CHVBK 20180411083016.0 cr unu---uuuuu 180411e20130501xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s11284-013-1038-9 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s11284-013-1038-9 Root size and soil environments determine root lifespan: evidence from an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau [Elektronische Daten] [Yibo Wu, Yongcui Deng, Jing Zhang, Jing Wu, Yanhong Tang, Guangmin Cao, Fawei Zhang, Xiaoyong Cui] We used a minirhizotron system to investigate the influence of three major factors—root morphology, root depth, and season of root emergence—on root survivorship and longevity in a Kobresia humilis meadow on the Tibetan Plateau during the growing season of 2009. Root longevity was assessed by survival analysis, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and Cox proportional hazards regression. Root longevity was correlated positively with root diameter. A 17.5% decrease in the risk of mortality was associated with a 0.1-mm increase in diameter. Roots distributed in the top 10cm of the soil had significantly shorter longevities than roots at greater depths, with a 48% decrease of mortality risk for each 10-cm increase in soil depth from the surface to 40cm. Of all the factors examined, the season of root emergence had the strongest effect on root lifespan. Roots that emerged in May and June had shorter longevity than roots that emerged later in the year, and roots that emerged in September and October were more likely to survive over winter. Our findings indicated that life-history traits of roots in K. humilis meadows are highly heterogeneous, and this heterogeneity should be considered when modeling the contribution of roots to carbon and nitrogen fluxes in this type of meadow ecosystem. Moreover, temporal, spatial, and compositional variations in root longevity must be considered. The Ecological Society of Japan, 2013 Minirhizotron nationallicence Alpine meadow nationallicence Root lifespan nationallicence Survival analysis nationallicence Seasonal dynamics nationallicence Wu Yibo College of Architectural, Civil Engineering and Environment, Ningbo University, 315211, Ningbo, China aut Deng Yongcui College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China aut Zhang Jing College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China aut Wu Jing College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China aut Tang Yanhong National Institute for Environment Studies, 16-3 Onogawa, 305-8569, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan aut Cao Guangmin Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 810001, Xining, China aut Zhang Fawei Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 810001, Xining, China aut Cui Xiaoyong College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China aut Ecological Research Springer Japan 28/3(2013-05-01), 493-501 0912-3814 28:3<493 2013 28 11284 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-013-1038-9 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-013-1038-9 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Wu Yibo College of Architectural, Civil Engineering and Environment, Ningbo University, 315211, Ningbo, China aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Deng Yongcui College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Zhang Jing College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Wu Jing College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Tang Yanhong National Institute for Environment Studies, 16-3 Onogawa, 305-8569, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Cao Guangmin Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 810001, Xining, China aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Zhang Fawei Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 810001, Xining, China aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Cui Xiaoyong College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Ecological Research Springer Japan 28/3(2013-05-01), 493-501 0912-3814 28:3<493 2013 28 11284 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer