Intraspecific differentiation in the root system of Potentilla matsumurae along a snow accumulation gradient in mid-altitude alpine environment

Abstract

ABSTRACT Despite its importance for plant survival in cold biomes, little is known about the variation in the morphological traits of root systems of alpine plants. In this study, we investigated the difference in biomass allocation and morphological traits of belowground organs of Potentilla matsumurae between snowbeds and fellfields in an alpine tundra in northern Japan. The fellfields were characterized to have drier, colder, and less fertile conditions with more soil freeze–thaw cycles and longer growing seasons than snowbeds. The allocation to the aboveground part relative to the root system was significantly higher in the fellfields than in the snowbeds. The allocation to the root system relative to the aboveground part was significantly lower in the fellfields than in the snowbeds. For the morphological traits of fine roots, the specific root length and the root tip density were smaller in the fellfields than in the snowbeds. Together, distinct intraspecific differentiation of biomass allocation and morphological traits in the root system was found for P. matsumurae between the snowbed and fellfields populations in an alpine ecosystem. The distinct variation in root morphology could make P. matsumurae grow across the sharp gradient of snow conditions in alpine environments.