Root exudation: the constant in carbon allocation in a drought-stressed mature forest

What is it about?

The elevated release of carbon from roots to soil as root exudates is a widely-described plant response to drought. By measuring root exudation for the entire root system, we show that mature trees maintain carbon release similar to non-water-stressed controls. However, because trees take up less carbon under drought, the proportion of belowground allocated carbon increases.

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