roots and what absorb water and nutrients from soil
Through a process called photosynthesis, leaves use the sunâs energy to convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water from the soil into sugar and oxygen. The sugar, which is the treeâs food, is either used or stored in the branches, trunk and roots. The oxygen is released into the atmosphere. Roots A treeâs roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil, store sugar and anchor the tree upright in the ground. All trees have lateral roots that branch into smaller and smaller roots and usually extend horizontally beyond the branch tips. Some trees have a tap root that reaches down as far as 15 feet.