Integrating root exudation into belowground carbon economics #plantscience
dlvr.it
The ecological significance of root exudation has long been recognized, yet most research on root-trait organization has focused on easily measurable morphological and chemical traits. Root exudation, despite representing a substantial carbon investment in rhizosphere processes and belowground interactions, remains largely overlooked in the current Root Economics Space (RES) framework. Emerging evidence reveals inconsistent correlations between root-exudation traits and the collaboration versus conservation gradients of the RES. We explore potential mechanisms underlying these inconsistencies and propose two testable hypotheses: that root exudation can either be integrated into the existing two-dimensional RES or constitute an independent axis that extends the framework to three dimensions. Finally, we identify key research priorities to address critical knowledge gaps and improve trait-based predictions of belowground carbon allocation.
