MrPARTS / MANIP Root Data

This dataset contains root measurements collected in the MaNiP experiment at the experimental site Majadas de Tietar  (El-Madany et al., 2018) between November 2016 and May 2018.We collected direct measurements of root biomass, ingrowth cores (always initiated in December of the previous year to sampling date) and minirhizotron measurements from approximately every other month during the growing season.

These data are reported in Nair et al., (2018) along with commentary on the methods of sampling. In this dataset we include data as shown in the paper; this includes the top 13 cm of fine root biomass (the majority of fine roots at most times of the year).

The experimental site is a nutrient manipulation experiment (MaNiP: Large Scale Manipulation Nitrogen and Phosphorus) experiment in a typical ‘Iberic Dehesa’ in western Spain. The site has has about 20 % tree cover (98% Quercus ilex) interspaced with a diverse herbaceous pasture.  We use a site-level fertilization design with nutrient (+N and +NP) fertilizers applied beneath 3 eddy covariance towers each with a footprint of ca. 20 ha (El-Madany et al., 2018). For root measurements we use sampling scheme described Nair et al., (2018) aiming to characterize differences between footprints and between cover types across 36 ‘locations’ where minirhizotron and direct root measurements are closely paired.  These are arranged in a stratified design with the tower footprints, in sets of four minirhizotrons around individual trees.  

Variables and units are described in the readme.txt file.

The dataset consists of two files:

MANIP_MrPARTS_minirhizotron.csv      containing minirhizotron data on a per-image level. , we present these a metric of root cover in the individual images which we demonstrate in Nair 2019 is closely analogous to RLD (Root Length Density) at the site. 

MANIP_MrPARTS_roots_direct.csv        containing root biomass and ingrowth core measurements.

Some of these data were collected and all processed as part of the EC project 748893 'MrPARTS' awarded to Richard Nair.  We also thank the von Humbold Stiftung for financial support of the MaNiP project through the Max Planck research prize 2013 to Markus Reichstein