Characteristics of lateral roots of Rhus typhina L. in different green space systems

Rhus typhina L. exhibits a highly developed horizontal root system, often displacing neighboring plant species under suitable conditions. This study examined the morphological characteristics and distribution patterns of lateral roots in R. typhina growing in two urban green spaces with comparable habitat conditions and management regimes. Root excavation was used to characterize root architecture, followed by statistical analysis using descriptive metrics, analysis of variance, and t-tests. Results showed that R. typhina possessed a few slender vertical roots but lacked a prominent vertical taproot. Its root system was predominantly confined to the upper 20 cm of soil, exhibiting a shallow, horizontally spreading root system. Root distribution in two of the four directions was relatively dense. With increasing root order, root diameter and biomass progressively increased, while root quantity and length declined. Notably, the number of fine roots (≤1 mm diameter) was significantly higher in the Urumqi plot than in the Korla plot (P<0.05). Branching intensity of the lateral propagative roots showed a significant positive correlation with internode length and a negative correlation with vertical angle, whereas other root traits exhibited no significant associations.