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

• Published in: The New phytologist Vol. 242; no. 3; pp. 916 - 934
• Main Authors: Tariq, Akash, Graciano, Corina, Sardans, Jordi, Zeng, Fanjiang, Hughes, Alice C., Ahmed, Zeeshan, Ullah, Abd, Ali, Sikandar, Gao, Yanju, Peñuelas, Josep
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.05.2024
• Subjects: anthropogenic activities; arid ecosystems; Biodiversity; Biological fertilization; Biomass; Carbon; carbon cycling; Carbon dioxide; Carbon dioxide emissions; climate; Climate change; Desert Climate; Desert plants; desert vegetation; desertification; Deserts; Drought; Ecosystem; Ecosystems; Fertilization; Grazing; Groundwater; Groundwater levels; Humans; Land use; Microorganisms; Mineral nutrients; nutrient cycling; Nutrient retention; phytomass; Plant biomass; Plant communities; Plant Roots; Plants; Restoration; Roots; Soil; soil composition; Soil layers; Soil microorganisms; Stocks; Strategic management; vegetation; xerophytes; carbon cycling; desertification; arid ecosystems; nutrient cycling; desert vegetation; climate change

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. D...