New Research Reveals Differences in the Function of Fine Roots
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory - EMSLUsing a 26-year-old common garden forest, a multi-institutional team of researchers collected fine root samples from four temperate tree species (three deciduous and one coniferous) that varied in their morphology. Through gene sequencing, as well as metabolomic analysis at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy Office of Science user facility, researchers observed that fine roots compartmentalize functions, and within these compartments, bacteria and fungi function differently. This is likely due to whether and how nutritional resources are available in each compartment.