One in five plants has a hidden root system. Yes, far from what we all thought (that roots were in the top layer of soil), now, a study led by New York University reveals that a large part of our terrestrial ecosystems share a common pattern that until now had been completely ignored: a second, much deeper and hidden root system more than a meter underground. How?
Well, that’s how it is. Plants usually have an underground structure that could have enormous implications for the study of climate change and the management of natural resources. About 20% of the ecosystems studied in North America show a bimodal root distribution, in other words, they have a first group of shallow roots (which we thought were the only ones) and another hidden system in the deeper layers of soil.
So… If roots also expand in depth, they could be accessing nutrients we ignore, resisting drought better and, above all, sequestering carbon in zones where microbial activity does not reach to release it as CO₂. Do you want to know more?
Science only looked at the surface
For decades, research has focused on the first 30 or 50 centimetres of soil. However, thanks to the work with the NEON ecological observatory and its excavations up to two meters deep, a structure that had remained hidden has been detected: a second deep root system capable of exploring nutrient-rich areas such as nitrogen.
Here, plants gain another type of advantage (especially in arid climates or nutrient-poor soils). And the most incredible thing is that this is more common than we thought!
Much more than water: the role of carbon
The most shocking thing about this discovery is not just that roots can search for water or nutrients where we previously thought they could not reach. What really matters is carbon. If these deep roots manage to store carbon more than a meter underground, that carbon remains sealed, out of the reach of microbes that normally decompose it and return it to the atmosphere as CO₂. That means it could stay stored there for years… or even centuries. And in the middle of a climate crisis, that is pure gold.
Roots, the invisible system that holds everything together
This forces us to change the way we see ecosystems. They are not just trees and leaves on the surface. Life underground is much more complex than we thought. Roots are not just little tubes sucking up water: they are actively helping to regulate the climate. They are a kind of silent network that keeps the planet in balance (and we barely thank them!)
Crops with deep roots seem to withstand drought periods better. That gives us a very valuable clue to develop more resilient plants, something crucial in areas where the soil is already exhausted or in danger due to desertification.
This finding could change many things: from how reforestation campaigns are done to the methods for capturing carbon or improving agricultural soils. If we want real solutions, it’s time to look where no one had looked before: beyond the one-meter depth!
And really, with all the research there is on the soil of our planet Earth, no one had thought that there are plants with double roots! We know much less than we think, but this discovery gives us hope, especially now that our planet is showing alarming signs of the arrival of climate change…
What if we don’t have to invent anything to save our planet? What if the plants are already doing the dirty work on their own to keep life going here? Let’s see underground (literally!)