Linking fine root lifespan to root chemical and morphological traits—A global analysis

Author:

Hou Jiawen12ORCID,McCormack M. Luke3ORCID,Reich Peter B.456ORCID,Sun Tao1,Phillips Richard P.7ORCID,Lambers Hans8ORCID,Chen Han Y. H.9ORCID,Ding Yiyang1011ORCID,Comas Louise H.1213ORCID,Valverde-Barrantes Oscar J.14ORCID,Solly Emily F.15ORCID,Freschet Gregoire T.16ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China

2. College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

3. The Center for Tree Science, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL 60532

4. Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108

5. Institute for Global Change Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

6. Hawkesbury Institute Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2753, Australia

7. Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405

8. School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia

9. Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada

10. Department of Forest Sciences/Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland

11. Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland

12. Department of Soil & Crop Science, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80523

13. United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Water Management Research Unit, Ft. Collins, CO 80526

14. Department of Biology Science, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199

15. Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–Umwelt Forschungs Zentrum, Leipzig 04318, Germany

16. Station d’écologie théorique et expérimentale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Moulis 09200, France

Abstract

Fine root lifespan is a critical trait associated with contrasting root strategies of resource acquisition and protection. Yet, its position within the multidimensional “root economics space” synthesizing global root economics strategies is largely uncertain, and it is rarely represented in frameworks integrating plant trait variations. Here, we compiled the most comprehensive dataset of absorptive median root lifespan (MRL) data including 98 observations from 79 woody species using (mini-)rhizotrons across 40 sites and linked MRL to other plant traits to address questions of the regulators of MRL at large spatial scales. We demonstrate that MRL not only decreases with plant investment in root nitrogen (associated with more metabolically active tissues) but also increases with construction of larger diameter roots which is often associated with greater plant reliance on mycorrhizal symbionts. Although theories linking organ structure and function suggest that root traits should play a role in modulating MRL, we found no correlation between root traits associated with structural defense (root tissue density and specific root length) and MRL. Moreover, fine root and leaf lifespan were globally unrelated, except among evergreen species, suggesting contrasting evolutionary selection between leaves and roots facing contrasting environmental influences above vs. belowground. At large geographic scales, MRL was typically longer at sites with lower mean annual temperature and higher mean annual precipitation. Overall, this synthesis uncovered several key ecophysiological covariates and environmental drivers of MRL, highlighting broad avenues for accurate parametrization of global biogeochemical models and the understanding of ecosystem response to global climate change.

Funder

MOST | National Natural Science Foundation of China

MOST | National Key Research and Development Program of China

Laboratoire d'Excellence TULIP

USDA | Agricultural Research Service

NSF | BIO | Division of Environmental Biology

Publisher

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

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