Soil nitrogen fertilization impacts root mass and turnover in forest ecosystems.
The study looked at how adding nitrogen to the soil affects the roots of larch and ash trees in Northeastern China. They found that nitrogen fertilization decreased fine root mass and length in ash trees, but not in larch trees. The type of method used to measure root production and turnover also affected the results. Overall, nitrogen had different effects on root growth depending on the tree species and the measurement method used.