Table 2 Initial tissue chemistry and morphology of different-order roots at the beginning of litterbag experiment for the two subtropical tree species (mean with SE in parentheses, n = 3)

C. fargesii

 RO1–2

414.4^b (16.5)

17.2^a (2.4)

331.2^ab (35.6)

217.7^b (47.9)

370.5^a ( 63.3)

24.5^b (3.8)

21.6^a (3.5)

57.49^a (14.43)

0.23^c (0.03)

 RO3

473.0^a (10.3)

13.1^b (0.8)

289.3^b (45.5)

213.1 ^b (37.5)

244.7^b (56.1)

36.2^a (3.0)

18.7^ab (4.2)

8.78^b (2.02)

0.52^c (0.04)

 RO4

476.9^a (12.8)

11.8^b (0.6)b

347.9^ab (40.2)

205.0^b (16.4)

170.4^bc (52.3)

40.4^a (0.8)

14.3^ab (3.8)

2.95^b (0.62)

0.89^b (0.03)

 RO5

477.9^a (16.1)

11.5^b (1.2)

376.5^a (60.2)

294.8^a (41.7)

131.5^c (59.3)

41.9^a (5.3)

11.5^b (5.1)

0.90^b (0.21)

1.71^a (0.33)

S. superba

 RO1–2

453.0^b (16.3)

12.0^a (0.9)

296.2^a (31.2)

271.9^a (39.9)

414.4^a (41.6)

38.0^c (1.3)

34.8^a (5.3)

66.14^a (10.41)

0.23^d (0.03)

 RO3

499.7^a (5.5)

9.2^b (1.0)

206.0^b (40.0)

245.2^a (58.6)

285.9^ab (14.9)

55.0^b (5.1)

31.6^a (4.8)

17.31^b (2.05)

0.39^c (0.02)

 RO4

496.7^a (13.00)

7.6^b (1.3)

273.8^ab (28.0)

268.5^a (12.2)

275.8^b ( 96.1)

66.1^ab (9.1)

38.2^a (19.1)

5.68^c (0.75)

0.58^b(0.04)

 RO5

494.6^a (9.3)

7.1^b (0.8)

305.6^a (45.7)

252.2^a (16.7)

199.4^b (100.9)

70.3^a (6.7)

29.3^a (17.0)

1.84^c (0.28)

1.08^a (0.15)

P values

Order

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

0.010

0.225

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

0.571

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

Species

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

0.001

0.098

0.029

 < 0.001

0.001

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

Order × species

0.494

0.818

0.766

0.098

0.822

0.084

0.745

0.056

0.004