Figure legends
Fig. 1. Total CO2 efflux (a), root-derived (b) and SOM-derived CO2 efflux (c), and gross N mineralization (GNM) (bars show means ± SE; n = 4) for the single, double and triple planting density at the heading, flowering, and ripening stages. Significant differences (p < 0.05) between growth stages for each planting density are presented by different uppercase letters, while lowercase letters indicate significant differences between three planting densities at each growth stage.
Fig. 2. Specific root length (a) and specific root-CO2efflux (b) for the single, double and triple planting densities at maize heading, flowering and ripening stages (bars show means ± SE; n = 4). Significant differences (p < 0.05) between growth stages for each planting density are presented by uppercase letters, while lowercase letters indicate significant differences between three planting densities at each growth stage.
Fig. 3: Linear relationship between SOM-derived CO2efflux and gross N mineralization (GNM) (a) (n = 36). A linear relationship between the SOM-C to N rate of mineralization (the ratio between SOM-derived CO2 and GNM) and total dissolved N (DN) (b) (n = 36). Data for (a) and (b) include three planting densities across all three growth stages.
Fig. 4: Linear relationship of SOM-derived CO2 efflux (a) and gross N mineralization (GNM) (b) with specific root length (n=12). Each dots represents the individual replicate of each planting density (P, DP and TP) across three growth stages.
Fig. 5: The changes in root length density and belowground intraspecific intensity from maize heading to ripening stages, and the dynamics of soil C and N fluxes across all level of planting densities.