I am planning to measure SRL of soil samples taken from rhizosphere of Quercus robur and Ulmus laevis. Each soil sample contains nearly 50 root fragments. How can I calculate SRL for the soil sample, if the main formula of SRL is SRL=Length/Weight?
Should I sum lenghts of all root fragments or take an average length of all of them?
Hi Anastasia,
I dealt with similar questions while analysing root data of my PhD. The best approach would be to sum all the root length and then to associate that to total biomass. I'm not sure how you will measure root length (are you using any software?), but if you took an average value for all of the samples then you would need to also have an average weight value, as opposed to just using total root length and total weight.
I hope this info helps.
Cheers,
José
If you are going to use dry mass in a work done with Costus spicatus, the number of roots, length of the largest root and dry biomass of the roots per cutting were evaluated. The roots from each pile were conditioned separately in paper bags, which were arranged in a straight-line CB oven, at a mean temperature of 50 ºC, until a constant mass was obtained, reached in approximately 48 hours, to determine the dry matter of the system of each specimen.
The results were submitted to analysis of variance, and in case of significant F test, the means were compared by the Tukey test at 5% of probability.
Root scanner is the ideal way. If it isn't available, you can record the weight of your samples, then took a sub sample weight, measure root length and recalculate for the total weight.
Best wishes.
SRL is the length-to mass ratio (L/M) of a root fragment. The root mass can be replaced by the product of the root tissue density (RTD) and the volume (V):
SRL =L /M= L/ RTD * V
Dear,
May you find some important fine root traits methodology.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325544829_Root_order-based_traits_of_Manchurian_walnut_larch_and_their_plasticity_under_interspecific_competition
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