Toward a coordinated understanding of hydro‐biogeochemical root functions in tropical forests for application in vegetation models

Abstract

Tropical forest root characteristics and resource acquisition strategies are underrepresented in vegetation and global models, hampering the prediction of forest–climate feedbacks for these carbon-rich ecosystems. Lowland tropical forests often have globally unique combinations of high taxonomic and functional biodiversity, rainfall seasonality, and strongly weathered infertile soils, giving rise to distinct patterns in root traits and functions compared with higher latitude ecosystems. We provide a roadmap for integrating recent advances in our understanding of tropical forest belowground function into vegetation models, focusing on water and nutrient acquisition. We offer comparisons of recent advances in empirical and model understanding of root characteristics that represent important functional processes in tropical forests. We focus on: (1) fine-root strategies for soil resource exploration, (2) coupling and trade-offs in fine-root water vs nutrient acquisition, and (3) aboveground–belowground linkages in plant resource acquisition and use. We suggest avenues for representing these extremely diverse plant communities in computationally manageable and ecologically meaningful groups in models for linked aboveground–belowground hydro-nutrient functions. Tropical forests are undergoing warming, shifting rainfall regimes, and exacerbation of soil nutrient scarcity caused by elevated atmospheric CO2. The accurate model representation of tropical forest functions is crucial for understanding the interactions of this biome with the climate.

Metadata

Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Cusack, D.F. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4681-7449 Christoffersen, B. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4890-9999 Smith‐Martin, C.M. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6557-1432 Andersen, K.M. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1460-9904 Cordeiro, A.L. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7226-0133 Fleischer, K. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9093-9526 Wright, S.J. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4260-5676 Guerrero‐Ramírez, N.R. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7311-9852 Lugli, L.F. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8404-4841 McCulloch, L.A. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6868-2632 Sanchez‐Julia, M. https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3193-8259 Batterman, S.A. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7703-9873 Dallstream, C. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9193-0611 Fortunel, C. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8367-1605 Toro, L. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0550-3294 Fuchslueger, L. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9615-4439 Wong, M.Y. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7830-8035 Yaffar, D. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8090-7096 Fisher, J.B. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4734-9085 Arnaud, M. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4001-6499 Dietterich, L.H. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4465-5845 Addo‐Danso, S.D. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5074-1673 Valverde‐Barrantes, O.J. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7327-7647 Weemstra, M. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6994-2501 Ng, J.C. Norby, R.J. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0238-9828
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information:	© 2024 The Authors New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Cusack, D.F. , Christoffersen, B. , Smith‐Martin, C.M. et al. (23 more authors) (2024) Toward a coordinated understanding of hydro‐biogeochemical root functions in tropical forests for application in vegetation models. New Phytologist, 242 (2). pp. 351-371. ISSN 0028-646X, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.19561. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.
Keywords:	ecosystem vegetation models; fine roots; hydraulics; nutrient acquisition; phosphorus uptake; plant functional types; root trait clusters; tropical forests
Dates:	Published: April 2024 Published (online): 28 February 2024 Accepted: 10 January 2024
Institution:	The University of Leeds
Academic Units:	The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Geography (Leeds) > Ecology & Global Change (Leeds)
Depositing User:	Symplectic Publications
Date Deposited:	12 Apr 2024 10:57
Last Modified:	28 Feb 2025 01:13
Status:	Published
Publisher:	Wiley
Identification Number:	10.1111/nph.19561
Related URLs:	PubMed URL
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID):	oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:211418

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Toward a coordinated understanding of hydro‐biogeochemical root functions in tropical forests for application in vegetation models

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