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Plasticity of roots to acquire soil nutrients: From the tropics to the Arctic
  • Kazumichi Fujii
Kazumichi Fujii
FFPRI

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Abstract

Since the first vascular plants appeared on land at least 430 million years ago, plant-soil feedback has started through the root-soil interface. Plant species have inherently specific and diverse root traits, but root functional and morphological plasticity is important to respond to soil changes or diversity in terms of nutrient forms and availabilities, especially in ecosystems with low plant species diversity. This paper synthesized how tree plasticity facilitates soil nutrient acquisition from the tropics to the Arctic. The fine roots of dipterocarp (Shore laevis) and rhizosphere microbes increase malate release in acidic soils for phosphorus solubilization, aluminum detoxification, and lignin degradation. The development of finer roots is a well-known strategy for the acquisition of limited nutrients, but the allocation of roots foraging “nutrient hotspots” in deeper soil is an alternative strategy. Scots pine increases the allocation of finer roots into the subsoil to solubilize P bonded to Al/Fe oxides in fine-textured podzol, but not in the coarse-textured podzol with deeper nutrient hotspots. The black spruce trees increase the biomass allocation to the belowground to acquire soil nitrogen, especially when black spruce roots absorb urea in the shallow soil on permafrost. Even in northern ecosystems with limited species diversity, a combination of functional plasticity and vertical plasticity of root system architecture facilitates soil phosphorus or nitrogen limitation.
07 Sep 2023Submitted to Ecological Research
12 Sep 2023Submission Checks Completed
12 Sep 2023Assigned to Editor
12 Sep 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
19 Sep 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
13 Nov 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
18 Feb 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
04 Mar 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
12 Mar 20242nd Revision Received
13 Mar 2024Submission Checks Completed
13 Mar 2024Assigned to Editor
15 Mar 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
17 Mar 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
18 Mar 20243rd Revision Received
24 Mar 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
24 Mar 2024Submission Checks Completed
24 Mar 2024Assigned to Editor
01 Apr 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
04 Apr 2024Submission Checks Completed
04 Apr 2024Assigned to Editor
04 Apr 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
05 Apr 2024Editorial Decision: Accept