Abstract
Although root:shoot biomass ratios provide some insight into carbon allocation to the main plant organs (about 50% of the biomass can be considered carbon), these data do not suffice to describe the annual pattern of carbon allocation to root systems. There are fundamentally three carbon sinks in the heterotrophic root system which have to be considered. The first one is the fraction of carbon used for growth in length and thickness. In a general way, the distribution of secondary thickening in root systems was analyzed by Wilson (1975). Yet, specific data are not available. Avila et al. (1978) estimated for Colliguaya odorifera, a Chilean sclerophyllous matorral shrub, that about 10% of the total yearly biomass increase is the result of secondary growth. A similar value resulted from analysis of Cryptocarya alba another evergreen sclerophyllous shrub in the same ecosystem (G. Avila, personal communication).
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© 1981 Dr W. Junk Publishers, The Hague/Boston/London
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Kummerow, J. (1981). Carbon Allocation to Root Systems in Mediterranean Evergreen Sclerophylls. In: Margaris, N.S., Mooney, H.A. (eds) Components of productivity of Mediterranean-climate regions Basic and applied aspects. Tasks for Vegetation Science, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8683-1_16
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8683-1_16
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