Plant roots anchor the whole plant, absorb water and nutrients.
Additionally, roots are biological sensors which receive and process environmental stimuli into chemical signals which control the growth and development of both shoots and roots. Moreover, root exudates greatly contribute carbon and nitrogen to microorganisms and other components of the food web with the soil ecosystem. Root channels, rhizospheres, uptake of water and nutrients modify many abiotic soil conditions. Root development, demographics within the soil profile, and seasonal functions must all be considered when formulating a sustainable agriculture agro-ecosystem and global carbon cycle. Rapid increases in the global population continues to result in famine during the early part of the 21st Century.