4 g C m−2 y−1. This annual rate was much larger in genotype Skado on the previous cropland, with 22.5 g C m−2 y−1, than in the other land use and genotype, which averaged 17.0 g C m−2 y−1 (data not shown). The higher Cr for “Skado on previous cropland” per unit of land area (i.e. m−2) compared to “Skado on previous RO4929097 pasture” could be explained by the lower tree mortality that resulted in a higher plant density per area (Table 3). The belowground woody biomass

(Mr + Cr + Stu) increased by 30% after the first rotation. By the fourth year, the plantation had sequestered a total of 240 g C m−2 in belowground woody biomass. The Mr biomass remained constant between both sampling campaigns. The Mr biomass represented about 22% of the total root biomass. At the end selleck of both

rotations total (=above-plus belowground) standing woody biomass was higher in Skado than in Koster (Table 3). Although the aboveground biomass for genotype Skado was 23% higher than for Koster, there were no differences in the total belowground biomass. After the first rotation (pre-coppice), Cr and Mr represented 17% of the total standing woody biomass in Skado vs. 23% in Koster. This proportion of the total standing woody biomass dropped after coppice (i.e. in the second rotation) to 8.7% and 10.1% for Skado and Koster, respectively. In the first and in the second rotation, the Stu represented 14% and 12.5% of the total standing woody biomass Quisqualic acid in Skado vs. 16% and 14.4% in Koster. Thus, the Stu biomass changed much less from before to after the coppice than the roots, and it represented a higher belowground proportion for the genotype with the lower standing biomass (Koster). The root:shoot ratio exponentially decreased with basal area in a similar way for both genotypes before and after coppice (pre- and post-coppice, Fig. 6). As for Cr

biomass the genotypic differences in root:shoot ratios were attributed to differences in the BA. The small reduction of Fr biomass observed during the growing season post-coppice (2012) is comparable with the lower Fr biomass observed after harvest of the aboveground biomass in an oak plantation (Ma et al., 2013). The higher Fr productivity post-coppice partially rejected our first hypothesis, and was in line with the higher aboveground productivity measured in 2012 (post-coppice) as compared to 2011 (Verlinden et al., submitted September 2014). This 46% increase in Fr productivity post-coppice could probably be explained by the higher precipitation (19% higher) and evapotranspiration (33% higher) in 2012 as compared to 2011 (Fig. 2). The increasing Fr mortality after the coppice of the aboveground biomass partially confirmed our first hypothesis, and validates the assumption of several SRWC models (Garten et al., 2011 and Werner et al., 2012). These results contrast with the lack of change in Fr mortality after coppice observed in minirhizotrons studies (Dickmann et al.