. 2016 Jun 20;118(2):357–368. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcw109

Table 3.

Species differences in root traits measured under non-limiting water conditions

	Nassella pulchra	Koelaria macrantha	Elymus glaucus	Elymus elymoides	Festuca idahoensis	Melica californica	Poa secunda	Poa bulbosa
RTD (g cm^–3)	0·27 ± 0·05^ab	0·34 ± 0·04^a	0·16 ± 0·02^b	0·22 ± 0·02^ab	0·23 ± 0·03^ab	0·22 ± 0·03^ab	0·3 ± 0·04^ab	0·28 ± 0·03^a
RLD (cm cm^–3)	2·24 ± 1·04^abc	7·94 ± 2·14^a	3·12 ± 0·84^ab	0·77 ± 0·21^c	2·23 ± 0·74^abc	1·55 ± 0·51^bc	9·98 ± 3·3^a	1·06 ± 0·25^bc
RDMC (mg g^–1)	227·74 ± 28·6^abc	185·61 ± 13·46^ab	208·25 ± 15·1^abc	198·44 ± 14·39^abc	193·27 ± 17·16^abc	164·55 ± 14·61^a	268·93 ± 23·88^bc	262·81 ± 16·5^c
SRL (m g^–1)	88·67 ± 16·75^a	118·47 ± 12·92^a	116·73 ± 12·73^a	77·16 ± 8·42^a	98·84 ± 13·21^a	112·44 ± 15·02^a	337·41 ± 45·08^b	359·77 ± 33·99^b
Max depth (cm)	70 ± 15·86^ab	69·8 ± 6·46^a	48·12 ± 4·88^abc	46·96 ± 4·34^abc	43·42 ± 4·02^bcd	34·85 ± 5·58^bcd	28·89 ± 2·67^d	30·84 ± 3·12^cd
95 % depth (cm)	72·05 ± 7·87^a	45·44 ± 4·54^abc	48·72 ± 4·54^abc	52·02 ± 4·54^ab	31·09 ± 5·57^bc	35·48 ± 5·57^bc	25 ± 5·57^c	38·28 ± 3·94^bc
Very fine roots (%)	81·27 ± 4·19^ab	77·78 ± 2·42^a	51·47 ± 2·42^cd	48·01 ± 2·42^c	58·59 ± 2·97^cd	62·03 ± 2·97^d	95·72 ± 2·97^b	96·59 ± 2·1^b
Average diameter (mm)	0·19 ± 0·02^abcd	0·17 ± 0·01^ab	0·25 ± 0·01^c	0·26 ± 0·01^c	0·22 ± 0·01^ac	0·21 ± 0·01^ac	0·12 ± 0·01^bd	0·12 ± 0·01^d
Root:shoot dry mass	–	0·33 ± 0·03^a	0·12 ± 0·03^b	0·14 ± 0·03^bc	0·1 ± 0·04^b	0·16 ± 0·04^bc	0·29 ± 0·04^ac	0·02 ± 0·03^b
Emax_root (cm d^–1)	1·15 ± 0·1^6a	0·79 ± 0·09^ab	0·64 ± 0·09^ab	0·76 ± 0·09^ab	0·56 ± 0·11^ab	0·81 ± 0·11^ab	0·39 ± 0·11^b	0·95 ± 0·08^a

Values are marginal means ± s.e.

Letters indicate significant differences as determined by Tukey’s post-hoc tests (P < 0·05).

RTD, root tissue density; RDMC, root dry matter content; SRL, specific root length; SRA, specific root area; Emax_roo, maximum root elongation rate.