# Root traits as key proxies to unravel plant and ecosystem functioning: entities, trait selection and outlook

Boris Rewald, Gregoire T. Freschet, Catherine Roumet, Alexia Stokes, Monique Weemstra, Richard D Bardgett, A. Glyn Glyn Bengough, Louise H Comas, Gerlinde B de Deyn, David Johnson, et al.

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## To cite this version:

Boris Rewald, Gregoire T. Freschet, Catherine Roumet, Alexia Stokes, Monique Weemstra, et al. Root traits as key proxies to unravel plant and ecosystem functioning: entities, trait selection and outlook. 2020. [hal-03028581](https://hal.science/hal-03028581)

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Preprint submitted on 27 Nov 2020

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Root traits as key proxies to unravel plant and ecosystem
functioning: entities, trait selection and outlook

**Boris Rewald**<fnref n="1" />, Grégoire T. Freschet<fnref n="2" />,<fnref n="3" />, Catherine Roumet<fnref n="2" />, Alexia Stokes<fnref n="2" />, Monique Weemstra<fnref n="2" />, Richard D. Bardgett<fnref n="4" />, A. Glyn Bengough<fnref n="5" />,<fnref n="6" />, Louise H. Comas<fnref n="7" />, Gerlinde B. De Deyn<fnref n="8" />, David Johnson<fnref n="4" />, Jitka Klimešová<fnref n="9" />, Martin Lukac<fnref n="10" />, M. Luke McCormack<fnref n="11" />, Ina C. Meier<fnref n="12" />, Loïc Pagès<fnref n="13" />, Hendrik Poorter<fnref n="14" />,<fnref n="15" />, Ivan Prieto<fnref n="16" />, Nina Wurzburger<fnref n="17" />, and Marcin Zadworny<fnref n="18" />

Root systems show a tremendous diversity both between and within species, suggesting a large variability in plant functioning and effects on ecosystem properties and processes. In recent decades, developments in many areas of root research have brought considerable advances in our understanding of root traits and their contribution to plant and ecosystem functioning. However, despite major progress, a comprehensive overview—bridging research fields—is lacking. Furthermore, considerable uncertainties exist in the identification of root entities, and the selection and standardized measurement of traits. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview on root entities, exemplify recent advances in our understanding of both theoretical and demonstrated relationships between root traits and plant or ecosystem functioning, discuss trait-trait relationships and hierarchies among traits, and critically assess current strengths and gaps in our knowledge.

<footnote n="1">¹Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria (boris.rewald@boku.ac.at)</footnote>

<footnote n="2">²Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175 (CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE - IRD), Montpellier, France</footnote>

<footnote n="3">³Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, CNRS, Moulis, France</footnote>

<footnote n="4">⁴School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK</footnote>

<footnote n="5">⁵James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie Dundee, UK</footnote>

<footnote n="6">⁶School of Engineering, Mathematics and Physics, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK</footnote>

<footnote n="7">⁷Water Management Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Fort Collins, USA</footnote>

<footnote n="8">⁸Soil Biology and Biological Soil Quality Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands</footnote>

<footnote n="9">⁹Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic</footnote>

<footnote n="10">¹⁰School of Agriculture, Policy & Development, University of Reading, Reading, UK</footnote>

<footnote n="11">¹¹Center for Tree Science, Morton Arboretum, Lisle, USA</footnote>

<footnote n="12">¹²Plant Ecology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany</footnote>

<footnote n="13">¹³Plantes et Systèmes de culture Horticoles, INRA UR 1115, Avignon, France</footnote>

<footnote n="14">¹⁴Plant Sciences (IBG-2), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany</footnote>

<footnote n="15">¹⁵Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Australia</footnote>

<footnote n="16">¹⁶Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CSIC), Campus Universitario de Espinardo, Murcia, Spain</footnote>

<footnote n="17">¹⁷Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, USA</footnote>

<footnote n="18">¹⁸Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kórnik, Poland</footnote>
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