Root system development in two provenances of Picea abies at two different sites

摘要

The paper examines the development of the root system (both skeletal and fine roots) in 19-year-old Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) of two provenances (from altitudes 320 m and 1100 m), growing on two plots (540 m a.s.l., lowland, modal Cambisol; 820 m a.s.l., slope, ranker podzol), by comparing 34 parameters. The results show that the root system emergence is not affected by provenance but rather by site, namely by soil type and terrain slope. At an altitude of 540 m, both provenances produced an anchoring root system of circular floor projection with a rooting depth of 80 cm, while at an altitude of 820 m they had an elliptical superficial root system with a rooting depth of 45 cm. At the higher-situated plot, the provenance from an altitude of 1100 m showed a higher biomass, vitality, and specific length of fine roots.Additional key words: Norway spruce, root system architecture, skeletal roots, fine roots