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Plant ecology

Root traits and competition can define biome boundaries

Nature Reviews Biodiversity volume 1, page 352 (2025)Cite this article

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Roots are important not only to plant growth but also to adaptation to new habitats. The development of roots facilitated the transitions from aquatic to terrestrial biomes, and further modifications of root systems (along with symbiotic associations with microorganisms) have allowed plants to adapt to temperate regions, tundra and deserts. A 2022 study by Lu and colleagues that reports that root traits can explain the distinct boundary between two different biomes reveals the importance of roots in larger-scale ecological patterns.

Lu and colleagues conducted a study to understand the factors that drive the coexistence of two distinct biomes: fynbos and afrotemperate forest biomes in South Africa’s Western Cape. They measured the root traits of 20 plant species from the fynbos and afrotemperate forest biomes, along with associated soil properties. They first showed that fynbos plants possess several traits that make them highly efficient at extracting soil resources; indeed, fynbos plants have the thinnest fine roots and the highest specific root length, as compared with all other species with documented root traits. By contrast, neighbouring afrotemperate species have average root diameters and specific root lengths similar to those of other biomes, which makes them less competitive against fynbos species. Lu and colleagues showed that these competitive differences lead to intense belowground competition for resources, and that fynbos species prevent afrotemperate forest species from invading the fynbos biome. Along with efficient nutrient absorption, fynbos plants also change the soil nutrient conditions by lowering nitrogen and phosphorus levels, which makes it harder for afrotemperate species to grow. As a result, two distinct biomes form in same geological and climatic conditions. Contrary to the conventional belief that biome boundaries are primarily determined by abiotic factors such as climate and topography, this study shows that biotic factors such as root traits can also shape biome structure.

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References

Original article

  • Lu, M. et al. Biome boundary maintained by intense belowground resource competition in world’s thinnest-rooted plant community. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 119, e2117514119 (2022)

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  1. Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA

    Om Prakash Ghimire

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  1. Om Prakash Ghimire
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Correspondence to Om Prakash Ghimire.

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Ghimire, O.P. Root traits and competition can define biome boundaries. Nat. Rev. Biodivers. 1, 352 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44358-025-00051-y

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