Summary
Small trees ofAbies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. andPicea engelmannii Parry were collected along two elevational transects in the central Rocky Mountains, and the effects of low temperature on their root respiration activity were measured after growth in cool and warm soil temperature treatments.Picea engelmannii roots respired significantly faster than those ofA. lasiocarpa, and trees of both species collected from high elevations respired significantly faster than those from lower elevations. The mean Q10 and mean activation energy of respiration were 2.0 and 47.2 kJ mol−1, respectively; they did not differ between transects, species, elevations of collection, or the soil temperature treatments. The results suggest ecotypic differentiation has occurred along these transects resulting in higher root respiration rates at higher elevations.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bazzaz FA (1979) The physiological ecology of plant succession. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 10:351–371
Billings WD (1974) Arctic and alpine vegetation: plant adaptations to cold summer climates. In: Ives JD, Barry RG (eds) Arctic and alpine environments. Methuen, London, pp 401–443
Billings WD, Godfrey PJ, Chabot BF, Bourque DP (1971) Metabolic acclimation to temperature in arctic and alpine ecotypes ofOxyria digyna. Arct Alp Res 3:277–289
Boyer WD, Romancier RM, Ralston CW (1971) Root respiration rates of four tree species grown in the field. For Sci 17:492–493
Chabot BF (1979) Metabolic and enzymatic adaptations to low temperature. In: Underwood LS, Tieszen LL, Callahan AB, Folk GE (eds) Comparative mechanisms of cold adaptation. Academic Press, New York, pp 283–301
Chapman SB (1979) Some interrelationships between soil and root respiration in lowlandCalluna vulgaris heathland in southern England, U. K. J Ecol 67:1–20
crawford RMM, Palin MA (1981) Root respiration and temperature limits to the north-south distribution of four perennial maritime plants. Flora (Jena) 171:338–354
Day RJ (1972) Stand structure, succession, and use of southern Alberta's Rocky Mountain forest. Ecology 53:472–478
Earnshaw MJ (1981) Arrhenius plots of root respiration in some arctic plants. Arct Alp Res 13:425–430
Eidmann FE, Schwenke HJ (1967) Beiträge zur Stoffproduktion Transpiration und Wurzelatmung einiger wichtiger Baumarten. Forstwiss Forsch 23:7–46
Graham D, Patterson BD (1982) Response of plants to low, nonfreezing temperatures: proteins, metabolism, and acclimation. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 33:347–372
Grant MC, Mitton JB (1977) Genetic differentiation among growth forms of Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir at tree line. Arct Alp Res 9:259–263
Habeck JR (1968) Forest succession in the Glacier Park cedarhemlock forests. Ecology 49:872–880
Hashimoto R, Suzaki T (1978) Resistance to carbon dioxide transfer in leaves ofCryptomeria japanica in winter, and influences of soil temperature on them. J Jpn For Soc 60:24–30
Havranek W (1972) Über die Bedeutung der Bodentemperatur für die Photosynthese und Transpiration junger Forstpflanzen und für die Stoffproduktion an der Waldgrenze. Angew Bot 46:101–116
Hewitt EJ (1966) Sand and water culture methods used in the study of plant nutrition, 2nd ed. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Farnham Royal
Higgins PD, Spomer GG (1976) Soil temperature effects on root respiration and the ecology of alpine and subalpine plants. Bot Gaz (Chicago) 137:110–120
Hitchman ML (1978) Measurement of dissolved oxygen. John Wiley and Sons, New York
Holtmeier FK (1981) What does the term “Krummholz” really mean? Observations with special reference to the Alps and the Colorado Front Range. Mt Res Dev 1:253–260
Kaufmann MR (1975) Leaf water stress in Engelmann spruce. Influence of the root and shoot environment. Plant Physiol 56:841–844
Keller T (1967) Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Wurzelatmung von Koniferenjungpflanzen. Proc 14th Congr IUFRO München IV, Sect 23: 329–340
Kimura M, Mototani I, Hogetsu K (1968) Ecological and physiological studies on the vegetation of Mt. Shimagare VI. Growth and dry matter production of youngAbies stand. Bot Mag 81:287–296
Knapp AK, Smith WK (1981) Water relations and succession in subalpine conifers in southeastern Wyoming. Bot Gaz (Chicago) 142:502–511
Lyons JM (1973) Chilling injury in plants. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 24:445–466
Lyons JM, Raison JK (1970) Oxidative activity of mitochondria isolated from plant tissues sensitive and resistant to chilling injury. Plant Physiol 45:386–389
Mueller OP (1970) Soil temperature regimes in a forested area of the northern Rockies. Soil Sci 109:40–47
Nielsen KF (1974) Roots and root temperature. In: Carson EW (ed) The plant root and its environment. University of Virginia Press, Charlottesville, pp 293–333
Patten DT (1963) Vegetational pattern in relation to environments in the Madison Range, Montana. Ecol Monogr 33:375–406
Pike CS, Berry JA, Raison JK (1979) Fluorescence polarization studies of membrane phospholipid phase separations in warm and cool climate plants. In: Lyons JM, Graham D, Raison JK (eds) Low temperature stress in crop plants: the role of the membrane. Academic Press, New York, pp 177–186
Raison JK (1980) Membrane lipids: structure and function. In: Stumpf PK (ed) The biochemistry of plants, Vol. 4, Lipids: structure and function. Academic Press, New York, pp 57–83
Raison JK, Chapman EA, Wright LC, Jacobs SWL (1979) Membrane lipid transitions: their correlation with the climatic distribution of plants. In: Lyons JM, Graham D, Raison JK (eds) Low temperature stress in crop plants: the role of the membrane. Academic Press, New York, pp 177–186
Salisbury FB, Spomer GG, Sobral M, Ward RT (1968) Analysis of an alpine environment. Bot Gaz (Chicago) 129:16–32
Segel IH (1975) Enzyme kinetics. John Wiley and Sons, New York
Spomer GG (1976) Simulation of alpine soil temperature conditions. Arct Alp Res 8:251–254
Stolzy LH, Jury WA (1982) Soil physics. In: Kilmer VJ (ed) Handbook of soil and climate in agriculture. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, pp 131–158
Teskey RO, Hinckley TM, Grier, CC (1984) Temperature-induced change in the water relations ofAbies amabilis (Dougl.) Forbes. Plant Physiol 74:77–80
Tranquillini W (1979) Physiological ecology of the alpine timberline. Springer-Verlag, New York
United States Department of Commerce (1964) Climatic summary of the United States, Climatography of the United States No. 86. Weather Bureau, Washington DC
Wardle P (1968) Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Engel.) at its upper limits on the Front Range, Colorado. Ecology 49:483–495
Whipple SA, Dix RL (1979) Age structure and successional dynamics of a Colorado subalpine forest. Am Midl Nat 101:142–158
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sowell, J.B., Spomer, G.G. Ecotypic variation in root respiration rate among elevational populations ofAbies lasiocarpa andPicea engelmannii . Oecologia 68, 375–379 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01036742
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01036742