Abstract
The roots of 36-year-old Douglas firs were sampled in a stratified random fashion with a Veihmeyer-type auger. The lengths of root were very variable as was the proportion of fine roots which were dead. From consideration of the possible causes of spatial variability, it was concluded that it was not due primarily to environmental variation; nor to position relative to the tree trunks and crowns except for concentrations adjacent to the trunks where stem flow is considerable. Cyclical initiation, extension and death of fine roots in a spatial pattern with cells perhaps as small as 30 cm diameter could explain the observations. A drought period might have caused more extensive death of fine roots on one of the three plots examined.
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