A continental scale analysis reveals widespread root bimodality

Mingzhen Lu (), Sili Wang, Avni Malhotra, Shersingh Joseph Tumber-Dávila, Samantha Weintraub-Leff, M. Luke McCormack, Xingchen Tony Wang and Robert B. Jackson
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Mingzhen Lu: Santa Fe Institute
Sili Wang: Columbia University
Avni Malhotra: Stanford University
Shersingh Joseph Tumber-Dávila: Stanford University
Samantha Weintraub-Leff: Battelle
M. Luke McCormack: The Morton Arboretum
Xingchen Tony Wang: Boston College
Robert B. Jackson: Stanford University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract An improved understanding of root vertical distribution is crucial for assessing plant-soil-atmosphere interactions and their influence on the land carbon sink. Here, we analyze a continental-scale dataset of fine roots reaching 2 meters depth, spanning from Alaskan tundra to Puerto Rican forests. Contrary to the expectation that fine root abundance decays exponentially with depth, we found root bimodality at ~20% of 44 sites, with secondary biomass peaks often below 1 m. Root bimodality was more likely in areas with low total fine root biomass and was more frequent in shrublands than grasslands. Notably, secondary peaks coincided with high soil nitrogen content at depth. Our analyses suggest that deep soil nutrients tend to be underexploited, while root bimodality offers plants a mechanism to tap into deep soil resources. Our findings add to the growing recognition that deep soil dynamics are systematically overlooked, and calls for more research attention to this deep frontier in the face of global environmental change.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60055-2

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