Effects of nutrition spatial heterogeneity on root traits and carbon usage by roots of Cercis chinensis seedlings in split root rooms

In natural ecosystems, nutrition available for plants shows great spatial heterogeneity. Much is known about plant root responses to the spatial heterogeneity of nutrition, but little is known about carbon usage in roots in nutrition-deficient patches and its effect on root longevity. In this study, split-room boxes were used for culture of Cercis chinensis seedlings, and the small rooms were supplied with different nutrition levels. The number of the first-order roots in the rooms with nutrition supply was significantly higher than that in the rooms with deficient nutrition. Specific root length (SRL) of the first-order roots in the rooms with deficient nutrition reached its peak at day 64 after nutrition treatment. There was no significant SRL differences between the two order roots during the experiment. Biomass of the first-order roots in the rooms without nutrition supply was significantly less than that of the first-order roots in the rooms with nutrition supply from day 64 to 96. The total biomass of the lateral roots in the rooms without nutrition supply decreased from day 64 to 96. The activities of the enzymes in roots in the rooms without nutrition supply increased and the activities of alkaline invertases in roots in the two sides of split box did not change significantly. The activities of the enzymes in roots in the rooms without nutrition supply increased gradually. These results suggest that nutrition spatial heterogeneity induced the changes in root traits and plants actively controlled carbon usage in roots in nutrition-deficient patches by regulating the activities of invertases and sucrose synthases, resulting in the reduction in carbon usage in the roots in nutrition-deficient patches.