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@article{Ding:2025:10.1111/gcb.70543,
author = {Ding, R and Nobrega, R and Prentice, C},
doi = {10.1111/gcb.70543},
journal = {Global Change Biology},
title = {Global assessment of environmental and plant-trait influences on root:shoot biomass ratios},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70543},
volume = {31},
year = {2025}
}
TY - JOUR
AB - The distribution of assimilated carbon (C) among roots, stems, and leaves is a central process in terrestrial ecosystem dynamics. Yet the biomass allocation schemes used in current global vegetation and land surface models pre-date the existence of large plant-trait data sets and remain largely untested. Here we formulate hypotheses on the controls of root: shoot biomass ratios (R:S), based on eco-evolutionary optimality principles, and assess them quantitatively by analysing data on nearly 30,000 observations of R:S. We analysed global R:S patterns using multiple linear regression models for woody and herbaceous species separately, considering as candidate predictors growing-season mean temperature (Tg), gross primary production (GPP), a measure of root-zone water capacity (RZWC), soil pH, sand content, aridity index (AI), and plant traits: vegetation height (H), leaf thickness (LT), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), specific leaf area (SLA), specific root length (SRL), and rooting depth (RRD). R:S was systematically greater in herbaceous plants. R:S decreased with Tg, GPP, and height but increased with sand content, RRD, and LDMC in both woody and herbaceous plants. However, AI and leaf thickness had opposing effects on R:S. RZWC and SLA were important in woody plants, while pH and SRL played a larger role in herbaceous plants. The models explained 13% (woody) and 31% (herbaceous) of R:S variation. The lower explanatory power for woody plants is likely influenced by unmeasured variations in (for example) forest age and canopy position. These empirical findings provide a step towards a quantitative theory of plant C allocation responses to resource availability and an improved C allocation scheme for ecosystem models.
AU - Ding,R
AU - Nobrega,R
AU - Prentice,C
DO - 10.1111/gcb.70543
PY - 2025///
SN - 1354-1013
TI - Global assessment of environmental and plant-trait influences on root:shoot biomass ratios
T2 - Global Change Biology
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70543
UR - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcb.70543
VL - 31
ER -
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