Details zur Publikation |
| Kategorie | Textpublikation |
| Referenztyp | Zeitschriften |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110213 |
Lizenz  |
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| Titel (primär) | A volumetric integral approach to estimate the rhizosphere extent from measured and simulated concentration profiles |
| Autor | Sırcan, A.K.; Schnepf, A.; Lattacher, A.; Kandeler, E.; Shen, G.; Blagodatskaya, E.; Poll, C.; Streck, T.; Pagel, H. |
| Quelle | Soil Biology & Biochemistry |
| Erscheinungsjahr | 2026 |
| Department | AECOL |
| Band/Volume | 221 |
| Seite von | art. 110213 |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Topic | T5 Future Landscapes |
| Supplements | Supplement 1 |
| Keywords | Rhizosphere extent estimation; β-glucosidase; Organic N; Leucine aminopeptidase |
| Abstract | Quantifying the spatial extent of the rhizosphere is essential for understanding root–soil interactions and assessing the impact of rhizosphere processes. Although methods for determining the spatial distribution of rhizosphere compounds (e.g., nutrients, carbon, microbes, enzymes) are increasingly available, the mathematical approaches used to delineate the boundary between the rhizosphere and bulk soil often introduce systematic differences and uncertainties, hindering cross-study comparability. We introduce the integral rhizosphere extent (IRE) method which derives the spatial extent of the rhizosphere from a defined fraction of the total integral over a radial concentration profile. We tested this method against two threshold-based methods that use bulk soil data to set the rhizosphere endpoint. To assess their applicability, we compared approach-specific estimates from imaging data of organic N, β-glucosidase (BG) enzyme activity, as well as from modeling results on dissolved organic carbon and microbial biomass profiles. Our analysis revealed that the threshold-based methods produce highly variable or even no estimates of the rhizosphere extent, particularly in low-gradient concentration profiles. In contrast, the IRE method produced estimates that are robust to variability in bulk-soil concentrations used to define thresholds while remaining responsive to systematic differences among concentration profiles across datasets. A sensitivity analysis showed that the IRE method remains stable across a range of predefined fractions of the total integrated solute enrichment or depletion around the root. Its mathematical rigor and ease of application make it a strong candidate for harmonizing rhizosphere data evaluation and improving the comparability of root–soil interaction studies. Moreover, it can naturally accommodate three-dimensional spatial data by integrating solute enrichment within a defined soil volume, rather than relying on point-based estimations derived from local concentration thresholds. |
| Sırcan, A.K., Schnepf, A., Lattacher, A., Kandeler, E., Shen, G., Blagodatskaya, E., Poll, C., Streck, T., Pagel, H. (2026): A volumetric integral approach to estimate the rhizosphere extent from measured and simulated concentration profiles Soil Biol. Biochem. 221 , art. 110213 10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110213 |
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