Abstract
Vertical root segregation can be a key underpinning of species
co-existence through below-ground niche partitioning but has rarely been
tested in diverse forest communities. We randomly sampled >
4000 root samples from 625 0-30 cm soil profiles in a subtropical forest
in China to determine the degree of vertical root segregation among 109
woody species and rooting plasticity in response to edaphic
heterogeneity and root neighbours. Over 85% of species were
predominantly distributed in the 0-10 cm soil zone, exhibiting low and
inconsistent rooting plasticity in response to either edaphic
heterogeneity or root neighbours. There was no evidence of vertical root
segregation among co-occurring species. Contrastingly, the increase of
one species’ root abundance tended to increase, but not reduce other
species’ root abundance within soil zones. These findings suggest that
interspecific differentiation of resource acquisition strategies might
be more important than root segregation in mediating species
co-existence in diverse forests.