Fine Roots Dynamics in Two Forest Strata of a Semi-Deciduous Forest in Northern Republic of Congo ()
ABSTRACT
The
belowground biomass is represented by coarse and fine roots. Concentrated in
the superficial horizons of the soil, the fine roots play a crucial role in the
functioning of a forest ecosystem. However, studies on their dynamics in
natural forests are almost non-existent in the Republic of Congo. Here, we
estimated the biomass, production, turnover and fine root lifespan of two
forest strata of a semi-deciduous forest: the
Gilbertiodendron dewevrei (De Wild.) J. Léonard forest (GF) and the mixed forest (MF) of land. The
ingrowth cores method was used to estimate the biomass, production, turnover
and lifespan of fine roots. The results of this study revealed that the
biomass, production and fine root turnover of the two forest strata studied
significantly decreased with increasing soil depth, with an increase in
lifespan. The annual fine root biomass of GF (2284.50 ± 37.62 
and 1034.61 ± 14.52 
) was slightly lower than that of MF
(2430.07 ± 40.68 
and 1043.10 ± 11.75 
) in the
0-15 cm and 15-30 cm horizons, respectively. The annual production of fine
roots from these latter horizons was respectively 1300.19 ± 32.17 
and 539.18 ± 11.55 
in GF and 1362.24 ± 39.59 
and 492.95 ± 14.38 
in the MF. Root turnover
was higher in the GF (1.68 ± 0.05 
and 1.35 ± 0.03 
)
than in the MF (1.57 ± 0.05 
and 1.13 ± 0.02 
).
The lifespan of fine roots increased with the depth of the soil. The difference
in fine root dynamics observed between the forest strata studied was influenced
by the Evenness index and the above-ground biomass.
Share and Cite:
Mikieleko, E. , Bocko, Y. , Loubota-Panzou, G. and Loumeto, J. (2021) Fine Roots Dynamics in Two Forest Strata of a Semi-Deciduous Forest in Northern Republic of Congo.
Open Journal of Forestry,
11, 192-205. doi:
10.4236/ojf.2021.113013.