Plant roots are essential for both food production and climate, yet until now they have been nearly impossible to measure accurately.
Plant roots are essential for both food production and climate, yet until now they have been nearly impossible to measure accurately. Researchers at Aarhus University have now developed a method that works like a “DNA test of the soil,” showing how much root biomass each species has and how much carbon they store underground.
Few of us ever think about what happens beneath our feet when we walk through a field of wheat or clover. We see the stalks, leaves, and flowers, but in practice we have no direct access to the roots.
Roots, however, are central. They anchor plants in the soil, supply them with water and nutrients, and contribute to carbon storage in the ground. But because roots are hidden, researchers have for decades struggled to measure how much biomass lies below and how it is distributed among species.
Read more at: Aarhsu University
Photo Credit: Ralphs_Fotos via Pixabay
