articleNew PhytologistMar 14, 2024HYBRID OA

Plant root mechanisms and their effects on carbon and nutrient accumulation in desert ecosystems under changes in land use and climate

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas · Chinese Academy of Sciences · +8 more institutions

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Abstract

Summary Deserts represent key carbon reservoirs, yet as these systems are threatened this has implications for biodiversity and climate change. This review focuses on how these changes affect desert ecosystems, particularly plant root systems and their impact on carbon and mineral nutrient stocks. Desert plants have diverse root architectures shaped by water acquisition strategies, affecting plant biomass and overall carbon and nutrient stocks. Climate change can disrupt desert plant communities, with droughts impacting both shallow and deep‐rooted plants as groundwater levels fluctuate. Vegetation management practices, like grazing, significantly influence plant communities, soil composition, root…

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