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Sanaei A, van der Plas F, Chen H, Davids S, Eckhardt S, Hennecke J, Kahl A, Möller Y, Richter R, Schütze J, Wirth C, Weigelt A. Tree growth is better explained by absorptive fine root traits than by transport fine root traits. Commun Biol 2025; 8:313. [PMID: 40011709 PMCID: PMC11865288 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-07756-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2025] [Indexed: 02/28/2025] Open
Abstract
Although the interest in root traits has increased in recent years, we still have limited knowledge of (i) whether functionally different fine roots-absorptive versus transport roots-have similar trait coordination and (ii) how they help to explain plant performance, such as growth. We measured traits of 25 European broadleaved tree species growing in a research arboretum to study (i) the coordination of root traits within absorptive and transport fine roots and (ii) the degree of trait-tree growth relationships. To do so, we combined a suite of morphological and anatomical traits for each of the absorptive and transport roots. Despite remarkable differences in average trait values between absorptive and transport roots, our study shows that trait coordination within absorptive and transport roots is relatively similar. Our results also show that, for the selected traits, tree growth is better explained by absorptive root traits than by transport root traits and is higher in species with thinner roots. The stronger relationship between absorptive roots and tree growth highlights that roots mostly involved with resource absorption are more important in explaining tree growth than transport roots, which are mainly responsible for resource transportation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anvar Sanaei
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Fons van der Plas
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hongmei Chen
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Sophie Davids
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Justus Hennecke
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anja Kahl
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Yasmin Möller
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ronny Richter
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jana Schütze
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christian Wirth
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Alexandra Weigelt
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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Julkowska MM. Data insights: Descriptive data papers with high information impact are a new gold mine for readers of plant, cell and environment. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024; 47:3699-3700. [PMID: 38173307 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
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King WL, Hayward RJ, Goebel M, Fleishman SM, Bauerle TL, Bell TH. Getting to the root of root-microbe interactions. Sci Prog 2024; 107:368504241278783. [PMID: 39234658 PMCID: PMC11378194 DOI: 10.1177/00368504241278783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
Microbial relationships with roots influence many ecosystem functions and nutrient fluxes, including their sometimes-profound effects on plant health and productivity. Fine roots were often classified with a diameter less than 2 mm, but fine roots under that size perform distinct functional roles in the environment. Importantly, two broad functional categories of fine roots are absorptive and transportive, with absorptive fine roots acting as metabolic hotspots for root activity. In two of our recent studies, we have shown that several microbial community characteristics differ between absorptive and transportive fine roots, including composition, abundance, and function, as well as the root metabolome. This highlights a growing recognition within microbial ecology that we must consider fine-scale environmental variability, such as root physiology and morphology, when interpreting microbial patterns. In this commentary, we summarize the findings of our latest article, further speculate on some of these patterns, and suggest future studies for examining decomposition and applying cutting-edge single-cell sequencing techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- William L King
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Regan J Hayward
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-Based Infection Research, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marc Goebel
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Suzanne M Fleishman
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Taryn L Bauerle
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Terrence H Bell
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Maitra P, Hrynkiewicz K, Szuba A, Jagodziński AM, Al-Rashid J, Mandal D, Mucha J. Metabolic niches in the rhizosphere microbiome: dependence on soil horizons, root traits and climate variables in forest ecosystems. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1344205. [PMID: 38645395 PMCID: PMC11026606 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1344205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Understanding belowground plant-microbial interactions is important for biodiversity maintenance, community assembly and ecosystem functioning of forest ecosystems. Consequently, a large number of studies were conducted on root and microbial interactions, especially in the context of precipitation and temperature gradients under global climate change scenarios. Forests ecosystems have high biodiversity of plants and associated microbes, and contribute to major primary productivity of terrestrial ecosystems. However, the impact of root metabolites/exudates and root traits on soil microbial functional groups along these climate gradients is poorly described in these forest ecosystems. The plant root system exhibits differentiated exudation profiles and considerable trait plasticity in terms of root morphological/phenotypic traits, which can cause shifts in microbial abundance and diversity. The root metabolites composed of primary and secondary metabolites and volatile organic compounds that have diverse roles in appealing to and preventing distinct microbial strains, thus benefit plant fitness and growth, and tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought. Climatic factors significantly alter the quantity and quality of metabolites that forest trees secrete into the soil. Thus, the heterogeneities in the rhizosphere due to different climate drivers generate ecological niches for various microbial assemblages to foster beneficial rhizospheric interactions in the forest ecosystems. However, the root exudations and microbial diversity in forest trees vary across different soil layers due to alterations in root system architecture, soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient stoichiometry. Changes in root system architecture or traits, e.g. root tissue density (RTD), specific root length (SRL), and specific root area (SRA), impact the root exudation profile and amount released into the soil and thus influence the abundance and diversity of different functional guilds of microbes. Here, we review the current knowledge about root morphological and functional (root exudation) trait changes that affect microbial interactions along drought and temperature gradients. This review aims to clarify how forest trees adapt to challenging environments by leveraging their root traits to interact beneficially with microbes. Understanding these strategies is vital for comprehending plant adaptation under global climate change, with significant implications for future research in plant biodiversity conservation, particularly within forest ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pulak Maitra
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kórnik, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Hrynkiewicz
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Szuba
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kórnik, Poland
| | - Andrzej M. Jagodziński
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kórnik, Poland
- Department of Game Management and Forest Protection, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Jubair Al-Rashid
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Dipa Mandal
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Joanna Mucha
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kórnik, Poland
- Department of Forest Entomology and Pathology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
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