First estimates of fine root production in tropical peat swamp and terra firme forests of the central Congo Basin

Matteo Sciumbata; Yeto Emmanuel Mampouya Wenina; Mackline Mbemba; Greta C. Dargie; Andy J. Baird; Paul J. Morris; Suspense Averti Ifo; Rien Aerts; Simon L. Lewis

doi:10.1038/s41598-023-38409-x

First estimates of fine root production in tropical peat swamp and terra firme forests of the central Congo Basin

Matteo Sciumbata
, Yeto Emmanuel Mampouya Wenina
, Mackline Mbemba
, Greta C. Dargie
, Andy J. Baird
, Paul J. Morris
, Suspense Averti Ifo
, Rien Aerts
, Simon L. Lewis

Systems Ecology

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Tropical peatlands are carbon-dense ecosystems because they accumulate partially-decomposed plant material. A substantial fraction of this organic matter may derive from fine root production (FRP). However, few FRP estimates exist for tropical peatlands, with none from the world's largest peatland complex in the central Congo Basin. Here we report on FRP using repeat photographs of roots from in situ transparent tubes (minirhizotrons), measured to 1 m depth over three one-month periods (spanning dry to wet seasons), in a palm-dominated peat swamp forest, a hardwood-dominated peat swamp forest, and a terra firme forest. We find FRP of 2.6 ± 0.3 Mg C ha-1 yr-1, 1.9 ± 0.5 Mg C ha-1 yr-1, and 1.7 ± 0.1 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 in the three ecosystem types respectively (mean ± standard error; no significant ecosystem type differences). These estimates fall within the published FRP range worldwide. Furthermore, our hardwood peat swamp estimate is similar to the only other FRP study in tropical peatlands, also hardwood-dominated, from Micronesia. We also found that FRP decreased with depth and was the highest during the dry season. Overall, we show that minirhizotrons can be used as a low-disturbance method to estimate FRP in tropical forests and peatlands.

Original language	English
Article number	12315
Pages (from-to)	1-12
Number of pages	12
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	13
Early online date	29 Jul 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-38409-x
Publication status	Published - 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023. The Author(s).

Funding

This study was the product of the CongoPeat project (https://congopeat.net), funded by the NERC (grant reference number: NE/ R016860/1), which has provided the authors with full or partial financial and academic support. The Alberta Mennega Stichting provided the corresponding author with partial funding to carry out fieldwork. We would like to acknowledge the field team from Ekolongouma and Bolembe in the Republic of the Congo, and especially Guy Ngongo, Richard Molayi, Tresor Angoni, Michel Iwango, and Rene Mpuku for extensive support throughout the fieldwork; Dafydd Crabtree for assistance during field work; Antony Windross from the School of Earth and Environment’s workshop at the university of Leeds for building the minirhizotron system; Marie Arnaud and Declan Cooper for assistance during the data analysis; Bart Creeze for providing the map in Fig. 1. We thank two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on earlier versions of this paper. Finally, we would like to thank Arlette Soudan-Nonault, Minister of Environment and Toursim in the Republic of the Congo, and Gilbert Djombo Bomodjoin, Governor of the Likoula District in the Republic of the Congo, for permission to work in our study area. This study was the product of the CongoPeat project ( https://congopeat.net ), funded by the NERC (grant reference number: NE/ R016860/1), which has provided the authors with full or partial financial and academic support. The Alberta Mennega Stichting provided the corresponding author with partial funding to carry out fieldwork. We would like to acknowledge the field team from Ekolongouma and Bolembe in the Republic of the Congo, and especially Guy Ngongo, Richard Molayi, Tresor Angoni, Michel Iwango, and Rene Mpuku for extensive support throughout the fieldwork; Dafydd Crabtree for assistance during field work; Antony Windross from the School of Earth and Environment’s workshop at the university of Leeds for building the minirhizotron system; Marie Arnaud and Declan Cooper for assistance during the data analysis; Bart Creeze for providing the map in Fig. . We thank two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on earlier versions of this paper. Finally, we would like to thank Arlette Soudan-Nonault, Minister of Environment and Toursim in the Republic of the Congo, and Gilbert Djombo Bomodjoin, Governor of the Likoula District in the Republic of the Congo, for permission to work in our study area.

Funders	Funder number
Arlette Soudan-Nonault
Gilbert Djombo Bomodjoin
Minister of Environment and Toursim
Alberta Mennega Stichting
Natural Environment Research Council	NE/ R016860/1

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title = "First estimates of fine root production in tropical peat swamp and terra firme forests of the central Congo Basin",

abstract = "Tropical peatlands are carbon-dense ecosystems because they accumulate partially-decomposed plant material. A substantial fraction of this organic matter may derive from fine root production (FRP). However, few FRP estimates exist for tropical peatlands, with none from the world's largest peatland complex in the central Congo Basin. Here we report on FRP using repeat photographs of roots from in situ transparent tubes (minirhizotrons), measured to 1 m depth over three one-month periods (spanning dry to wet seasons), in a palm-dominated peat swamp forest, a hardwood-dominated peat swamp forest, and a terra firme forest. We find FRP of 2.6 ± 0.3 Mg C ha-1 yr-1, 1.9 ± 0.5 Mg C ha-1 yr-1, and 1.7 ± 0.1 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 in the three ecosystem types respectively (mean ± standard error; no significant ecosystem type differences). These estimates fall within the published FRP range worldwide. Furthermore, our hardwood peat swamp estimate is similar to the only other FRP study in tropical peatlands, also hardwood-dominated, from Micronesia. We also found that FRP decreased with depth and was the highest during the dry season. Overall, we show that minirhizotrons can be used as a low-disturbance method to estimate FRP in tropical forests and peatlands.",

author = "Matteo Sciumbata and Wenina, \{Yeto Emmanuel Mampouya\} and Mackline Mbemba and Dargie, \{Greta C.\} and Baird, \{Andy J.\} and Morris, \{Paul J.\} and Ifo, \{Suspense Averti\} and Rien Aerts and Lewis, \{Simon L.\}",

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AU - Wenina, Yeto Emmanuel Mampouya

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AU - Dargie, Greta C.

AU - Baird, Andy J.

AU - Morris, Paul J.

AU - Ifo, Suspense Averti

AU - Aerts, Rien

AU - Lewis, Simon L.

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First estimates of fine root production in tropical peat swamp and terra firme forests of the central Congo Basin

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