Fine root traits and belowground carbon and nitrogen pools of 32-year-old Pinus ponderosa trees in northern Idaho, USA

This data publication includes measurements of fine root traits and the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools in fine and coarse roots of a 32-year-old stand of Pinus ponderosa located in the University of Idaho Experimental Forest in northern Idaho. Fine root data, collected at four depths (forest floor and 0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm) from the four cardinal directions of each of 15 trees, includes length, diameter, volume, specific root length, and C and N concentration. Coarse root data includes wood density (nine random samples across a range of first-order lateral root diameters), and C and N concentrations systematically sampled across three taproot depths and three first order lateral root locations for ten trees. Measurements were obtained between 2017 and 2023.
Empirical data about tree root systems and their C and N pools are limited. This study, part of a larger root architecture and root development study, was designed to expand our understanding of the contributions of fine and coarse roots to ecosystem C and N pools.
For more information regarding this study and these data, see Dumroese et al. (in review).