Each Tropical Tree Species Specializes in Getting the Nutrients it Needs
Published:10 Aug.2018 Source:ScienceDaily
Trees communicate via a "wood wide web" of roots and microbes in ways that enhance their growth and can reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, mitigating climate change. But no one knows why so many tropical trees team up with bacteria to capture nitrogen from the air when they already grow in nitrogen-rich soils.
Researchers looking for general patterns in the way tropical trees capture nutrients were surprised to find that every species has its own way of getting the nutrients it needs. The concept of biodiversity extends to their behavior.