Last but not least: @joanabergmann.bsky.social showed her recent synthesis work with sUnderfoot and reminded us that it’s not just fine roots belowground but plants invest in many functions belowground, such as reproduction, defence, etc. Fantastic!!

Mateus Dantas de Paula enlighted us next with his advances on trait-based modelling of mycorrhiza. Including mycorrhizae improved the simulations across an Andean gradient and he inspires to model AM-ECM distribution across the globe. Check out his discussion paper out now.

Next was Meng Zhou who highlighted how root anatomy is the key player when it comes to root form and function. Her work on grasses considered root orders and life forms and found predictable patterns between cortex area and mycorrhizal colonization.

Oscar Valverde-Barrantes impressed us next with his detailed study on fine root trait changes throughout the season at the AmazonFACE site. Tropical roots are way more diverse and acquisitive in the wet season, so we learned.

Next was Grace Handy showing us how roots responded to high CO2 in the BiFoR FACE experiment. Trees invested in more roots but did not change their morphology. She was a pro on stage.

The brilliant Claire Fortunel kicked us off, covering the many aspect of belowground functional trait diversity in the tropics. Talking about phylogenetic signals on root morphology, deep roots, like very deep roots and how to connect with aboveground traits. She covered it all 🤩

Could not make it to #BES2024 or to the cross-biome tree root trait and function session @moniqueweemstra.bsky.social and I organized? No worries, I will summarize it here.

Hi there. I am Katrin and I work for and often enough in the Amazon rainforest. I want to understand how this magical forests functions belowground and build better models for it. Who wants to know more about that?