Bardgett, Richard D. and Mommer, Liesje and De Vries, Franciska T. (2014) Going underground : Root traits as drivers of ecosystem processes. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 29 (12). pp. 692-699. ISSN 0169-5347
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
Ecologists are increasingly adopting trait-based approaches to understand how community change influences ecosystem processes. However, most of this research has focussed on aboveground plant traits, whereas it is becoming clear that root traits are important drivers of many ecosystem processes, such as carbon (C) and nutrient cycling, and the formation and structural stability of soil. Here, we synthesise emerging evidence that illustrates how root traits impact ecosystem processes, and propose a pathway to unravel the complex roles of root traits in driving ecosystem processes and their response to global change. Finally, we identify research challenges and novel technologies to address them.