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<p>Root traits are fundamental to plant survival, growth and adaptation to environmental changes. Despite increasing attention to the root economics space, a quantitative understanding of global patterns and key drivers of root trait variation remains elusive. By combining metabolic theory with global trait datasets, we reveal universal nonlinear relationships of five key root traits with root water content regardless of plant growth form or climate zone. Root water content emerges as a stronger predictor of growth-related root traits and shows a closer association with the conservation gradient than the widely considered root nitrogen, thereby better defining ‘fast’ resource acquisition strategies. Moreover, replacing nitrogen with tissue water content in analyses reveals a closer alignment of leaf and fine-root traits than expected. Our findings highlight general quantitative biotic and abiotic controls on plant trait variation, offering broader insights into plant economics strategies, community dynamics and ecosystem functioning under changing climate and resource availability.</p>

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The overlooked role of root water content in the root economics space

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月23日

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  • Heng Li,
  • Carlos P. Carmona,
  • Shuli Niu,
  • Ian J. Wright,
  • Yong Zhou,
  • Josep Peñuelas,
  • Jordi Sardans,
  • Zhiqiang Wang,
  • Lei Deng,
  • Jing Wang,
  • Ruixuan Liu,
  • Jiahao Tan,
  • Ying Xin,
  • Chengjin Chu,
  • Heng Huang

摘要

Root traits are fundamental to plant survival, growth and adaptation to environmental changes. Despite increasing attention to the root economics space, a quantitative understanding of global patterns and key drivers of root trait variation remains elusive. By combining metabolic theory with global trait datasets, we reveal universal nonlinear relationships of five key root traits with root water content regardless of plant growth form or climate zone. Root water content emerges as a stronger predictor of growth-related root traits and shows a closer association with the conservation gradient than the widely considered root nitrogen, thereby better defining ‘fast’ resource acquisition strategies. Moreover, replacing nitrogen with tissue water content in analyses reveals a closer alignment of leaf and fine-root traits than expected. Our findings highlight general quantitative biotic and abiotic controls on plant trait variation, offering broader insights into plant economics strategies, community dynamics and ecosystem functioning under changing climate and resource availability.