Morphological adaptation of the root system of silver fir responding to changes of local environmental conditions
5 affiliations
- 1Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Forest Sciences, Białystok University of Technology, WiejskaBiałystok, Poland
- 2Faculty of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Biological Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- 3Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Civil Engineering, Białystok University of Technology, WiejskaBiałystok, Poland
- 4Forest Protection Department, Forest Research Institute, Sękocin Stary, Poland
- 5Department of Natural Forests, Forest Research Institute, Park Dyrekcyjny, Białowieża, Poland
Abstract
The study aimed to verify allometric changes in the root system structure of nearly 100-year-old silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) growing in Białowieża Forest. Traditional views of this species as possessing a simple taproot with 4–5 strong diagonal roots required supplementation with evidence of significant modification under specific conditions. It was observed that it developed extensive lateral root networks reaching 41.8–44.2 m diameter in the upper soil profile, exceeding previously reported maxima (21.2 m). This resulted from reduced competition after Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H.Karst) mortality due to drought, low groundwater level, and bark beetle infestation. The allometric shift in favor of lateral roots shows significant plasticity despite advanced age. The results confirm the climax nature of the species and show that the studied species has significant morphological adaptation. Remarkable are the significant spatial parameters (especially horizontal) of the distribution of the thin roots in the horizon of soil parent rock: depth 1.95–2.40 m, distance from the tree 6.40–10.38 m.They belong to a flattened bundle of roots growing parallel to the soil surface from the tip of the taproot and diagonal roots. Root systems were examined using ground-penetrating radar and traditional excavation methods combined with soil coring. Root identification relied on distinctive visual characteristics and anatomical analysis.
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BibTeX
@article{marozau2026morphological,
title = {{Morphological adaptation of the root system of silver fir responding to changes of local environmental conditions}},
author = {Aleh Marozau and Ewelina Bagińska and Justyna A. Nowakowska and Katarzyna Zabielska-Adamska and Patryk Dobrzycki and Tomasz Oszako and Konrad Wilamowski and Oleksandr Kychyliuk and Kamil Pilch and Piotr Borowik},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0361334},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0361334},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Morphological adaptation of the root system of silver fir responding to changes of local environmental conditions
AU - Aleh Marozau
AU - Ewelina Bagińska
AU - Justyna A. Nowakowska
AU - Katarzyna Zabielska-Adamska
AU - Patryk Dobrzycki
AU - Tomasz Oszako
AU - Konrad Wilamowski
AU - Oleksandr Kychyliuk
AU - Kamil Pilch
AU - Piotr Borowik
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/04
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0361334
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0361334
AB - The study aimed to verify allometric changes in the root system structure of nearly 100-year-old silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) growing in Białowieża Forest. Traditional views of this species as possessing a simple taproot with 4–5 strong diagonal roots required supplementation with evidence of significant modification under specific conditions. It was observed that it developed extensive lateral root networks reaching 41.8–44.2 m diameter in the upper soil profile, exceeding previously reported maxima (21.2 m). This resulted from reduced competition after Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H.Karst) mortality due to drought, low groundwater level, and bark beetle infestation. The allometric shift in favor of lateral roots shows significant plasticity despite advanced age. The results confirm the climax nature of the species and show that the studied species has significant morphological adaptation. Remarkable are the significant spatial parameters (especially horizontal) of the distribution of the thin roots in the horizon of soil parent rock: depth 1.95–2.40 m, distance from the tree 6.40–10.38 m.They belong to a flattened bundle of roots growing parallel to the soil surface from the tip of the taproot and diagonal roots. Root systems were examined using ground-penetrating radar and traditional excavation methods combined with soil coring. Root identification relied on distinctive visual characteristics and anatomical analysis.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -