Ecologists are increasingly adopting trait-based approaches to understand how community
change influences ecosystem processes. However, most of this research has focussed on …

Root systems are a black box obscuring a comprehensive understanding of plant function,
from the ecosystem scale down to the individual. In particular, a lack of knowledge about the …

Root architecture is a promising breeding target for developing resource-efficient crops.
Breeders and plant physiologists have called for root ideotypes that have narrow, deep root …

The effects of plants on the biosphere, atmosphere and geosphere are key determinants of
terrestrial ecosystem functioning. However, despite substantial progress made regarding …

The plant economics spectrum proposes that ecological traits are functionally coordinated
and adapt along environmental gradients. However, empirical evidence is mixed about …

Trait-based approaches, which focus on the functional characteristics of organisms rather
than their taxonomic identity, offer a means to explain how plant communities and …

Root respiration is a critical physiological trait involved in root resource acquisition
strategies, yet it is less represented in root trait syndrome. Here we compiled a large dataset …

Plants forage soil for water and nutrients, whose distribution is patchy and often dynamic. To
improve their foraging activities, plants have evolved mechanisms to modify the …

Climate change hampers food safety and food security. Crop breeding has been boosting
superior quantity traits such as yield, but roots have often been overlooked in spite of their …

Plant roots have greatly diversified in form and function since the emergence of the first land
plants,, but the global organization of functional traits in roots remains poorly understood …