In the context of a recent massive increase in research on plant root functions and their
impact on the environment, root ecologists currently face many important challenges to keep …

The soil volume affected by roots–the rhizosphere–is one of the most important microbial
hotspots determining the processes, dynamics and cycling of carbon (C), nutrients and water …

European beech (Fagus sylvatica) is the dominant tree species of Central Europe's natural
forests and one of the continent's most important timber species. This highly competitive …

Global nitrogen (N) deposition patterns have profoundly affected the production and
morphological structure of fine roots, which in turn changed the distribution of carbon in …

The ongoing climate change is characterized by increased temperatures and altered
precipitation patterns. In addition, there has been an increase in both the frequency and …

Root, stem and leaf traits are thought to be functionally coordinated to maximize the
efficiency of acquiring and using limited resources. However, evidence is mixed for …

The root economics spectrum (RES), a common hypothesis postulating a tradeoff between
resource acquisition and conservation traits, is being challenged by conflicting relationships …

Plants respond to resource stress by changing multiple aspects of their biomass allocation,
morphology, physiology and architecture. To date, we lack an integrated view of the relative …

Ecosystem functioning relies heavily on below‐ground processes, which are largely
regulated by plant fine‐roots and their functional traits. However, our knowledge of fine‐root …

Absorptive root traits show remarkable cross‐species variation, but major root trait
dimensions across species have not been defined. We sampled first‐order roots and …