Chinese and American studies have found that roots play a key role in plant evolution

a long time, the theoretical framework of plant evolution has mainly focused on leaves, flowers and other parts, but little is known about the root structure and functional organization of the underground part.
recently, a collaboration between the Institute of Geosciences and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Princeton University in the United States found that plant roots hidden underground may play a more critical role in plant evolution and adaptation. The results were
online in the online magazine.plants can't grow without water. In fact, the earliest plants, such as algae and moss, lived in water. What exactly made the plant finally "go" to land?
roots are the key to plant landings, and the emergence and evolution of real roots is likely to drive the evolution of 390,000 species of higher plants around the world. Ma Zeqing, the first author of the paper and an assistant researcher at the Institute of Geographical Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that roots are the main nutrient organs for plant nutrients and water acquisition, and may evolve later than stems and leaves, but in practical function, they are likely to be important factors for plants to survive and spread and enter different biota.
plants were generally small 400 million years ago, and real leaves did not form. Roots are not the real roots, and germs may have established symbications with some root cells, starting with perhaps only a few dozen less varied plants, mainly living in swamps.
plant landed, its root system has been varied in form and function. However, how to explain the role of root system on plant adaptation to the environment with a unified theory has always been the focus and difficulty of ecologists.Based on long-term field survey sampling, the international root research team, headed by Guo Dali, the first author of the paper and a researcher at the Institute of Geographical Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, collected 369 plants from 7 biomes around the world over the past 15 years, selected the strongest level of physiological metabolism, and analyzed their 10 functional characteristics, with a view to systematically explaining the bio-geographic pattern of absorbing roots.
In the course of research, a new theory of plant evolution is on display: over the course of 400 million years of evolution, the underground roots of plants are likely to "develop" different nutrient and water absorption strategies for different plants in a more efficient and independent way, thus driving the evolution of plants.
In the wet and rainy rainforest, plant roots do not "consider" the safety of water supply, a variety of roots are growing here, they are also more willing to live with some symbic fungi, each other "help lining." In this area, many very ancient species attributes are preserved and the root system is highly diverse.
in water-scarce grasslands and desert areas, the situation is quite different. The roots of plants become thinner, which allows them to reach deep into the barren soil for important nutrients. Due to the unpredictable environment in these areas and the unstable supply of resources, the root system has also reduced its dependence on symbic fungi and become more "independent".
"The plants in these areas are very 'catty', they are constantly optimizing their 'investment efficiency', more efficient grasp of the fleeting nutrients and moisture resources, and promote the spread and spread of species." "Under environmental pressure, the roots of plants in these places are mostly similar and very diverse. In
, the morphological differences between roots exist between woody and herb plants. Woody plant roots have relatively coarse diameter and slightly higher tissue density, resulting in long life, while herb tissues have lower density, low construction costs and short life span.Based on these findings, the researchers believe that plant roots have two survival strategies: one is conservative, reflected in the coarse root species and symblotic roots to obtain resources together, and the other is opportunistic strategy, species can quickly multiply finer absorption roots, so as to efficiently obtain unstable soil moisture and nutrients.
point, a previously overlooked truth has surfaced - changes in the structure of the plant's underground roots have played an important role in opening up new habitats for plants and ultimately promoting the biodiversity of plant species.
these are the secret strategies that plants have long taken over the world. Lars Hedin, co-lead author of the paper and a professor at Princeton University, said, "Our findings provide a whole new global theory of plant evolution. Hidden underground is a huge survival game for the fittest, and we're lucky to be able to uncover the science of the game for the first time ever. This
unrasws some of the hidden "subliminal rules" of plant survival and transmission, which are essential for building climate models and understanding the biosphere, as well as for better management of the plant world. This theory also explains why ancient coarse-rooted species have been phased out in evolutionary history, and why some fine-rooted species are more invasive and rough-rooted species are difficult to invade. This knowledge will be applied in ecological conservation efforts.
it is worth mentioning that this achievement condenses Guo Dali's lifelong exploration of the structure and function of the root system. But, sadly, at the time of the paper's publication, Guo Dali died of illness.
future, we will continue to look for 'roots' and 'questions' based on Mr. Guo's research to gain an in-depth understanding of how roots and symboxes in different biome regions affect the function of ecosystems. Mr Ma said. (Source: Ding Jia, China Science Daily)