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Abstract:
Variation and tradeoffs within and among plant traits are increasingly being harnessed by empiricists and modelers to understand
and predict ecosystem processes under changing environmental
conditions. While fine roots play an important role in ecosystem
functioning, fine-root traits are underrepresented in global trait
databases. This has hindered efforts to analyze fine-root trait
variation and link it with plant function and environmental conditions
at a global scale. This Viewpoint addresses the need for a
centralized fine-root trait database, and introduces the Fine-Root
Ecology Database (FRED, http://roots.ornl.gov) which so far
includes > 70 000 observations encompassing a broad range of
root traits and also includes associated environmental data. FRED
represents a critical step toward improving our understanding of
below-ground plant ecology. For example, FRED facilitates the
quantification of variation in fine-root traits across root orders,
species, biomes, and environmental gradients while also providing a
platform for assessments of covariation among root, leaf, and wood
traits, the role of fine roots in ecosystem functioning, and the
representation of fine roots in terrestrial biosphere models. Continued
input of observations into FRED to fill gaps in trait coverage will
improve our understanding of changes in fine-root traits across
space and time.
