Trait |
Definition and comments |
Resource uptake strategy* |
Mixture
effects |
Mixture effects |
Mixture effects |
|
|
|
positive |
negative |
null |
Root system |
|
|
|
|
|
Root/shoot
(R/S)
|
Root biomass divided by shoot biomass, the strategy for plants to adjust
the investment between above- and below-ground with changing in the
environment and life stage (Bessler
et al. 2009; Ma et al.
2019).
|
Capacity
|
(Baxendale et al. 2014)
|
(Bessler et al. 2009)
|
(Domisch et al. 2015)
|
Architecture |
|
|
|
|
|
Community-weighted mean rooting depth (WRD, cm) |
The centroid of
weighted root depth, describing the vertical distribution of roots
(Archambault et al. 2019). |
Capacity |
(Oram et al. 2018) |
(Shu et al. 2018) |
(Siebenkäs & Roscher
2016) |
Root length density (RLD, m m-3) |
Total fine root
length per unit soil volume, which reflects the ability of species to
compete for resources (Guderle et
al. 2018). |
Capacity |
(Gould et
al. 2016) |
|
(Bauhus 2000;
Siebenkäs & Roscher 2016) |
Morphology |
|
|
|
|
|
Specific root length (SRL, m g-1) |
Root length per
root dry mass, absorptive capability relative to carbon investment
(Ostonen et al. 2007). |
Efficiency |
(Shu et al. 2018) |
(Baxendale et al. 2014;
Salahuddin et al. 2018) |
(Gould et al. 2016) |
Mean root diameter (RD, mm) |
Mean diameter of fine root (< 2
mm) components. Thicker RD with a slow root growth rate facilitates root
penetration of denser soil; roots with thinner RD reduces dependence on
mycorrhizal symbiosis (Ma et al.
2018). |
Efficiency |
(Salahuddin
et al. 2018) |
(Gould et
al. 2016) |
(Beyer et al.
2013) |
Chemistry |
|
|
|
|
|
Root N content (RN, %)) |
RN supports metabolic activity, including
nutrient and water transport, enzyme functioning and mycorrhizal
symbiosis (Bloom et al. 1985;
Weemstra et al. 2016). In the
shared soil, RN decreases with competition intensity due to nitrogen
depletion (Hajek et al. 2014). |
Efficiency |
(Bauhus 2000) |
(Hajek et al. 2014;
Salahuddin et al. 2018) |
(Callaway et al.
2003) |