Contrasting Depth Dependencies of Plant Root Presence and Mass Across Biomes Underscore Prolific Root-Regolith Interactions

Root distributions are typically based on root mass per soil volume. This plant-focused approach masks the biogeochemical influence of fine roots, which weigh little. We assert that centimeter-scale root presence-absence data from soil profiles provide a more soil-focused approach for probing depth distributions of root-regolith interfaces, where microsite-scale processes drive whole-ecosystem functioning. In 75 soil pits across the continental USA, Puerto Rico, and the Alps, we quantified fine and coarse root presence as deep as 2 m. In 70 of these pits we estimated root mass and created standardized metrics of both data sets to compare their depth distributions. We addressed whether: (a) depth distributions of root presence-absence data differ from root mass data, thus implying different degrees of root-regolith interactions with depth; and (b) if root presence or any depth-dependent differences between these data sets vary predictably with environmental conditions. Presence of fine roots exhibited diverse depth-dependent patterns; root mass generally declined with depth. In B and C horizons, standardized root presence was greater than standardized root mass; random forest analyses suggest these discrepancies are greater in B horizons with increasing mean annual precipitation and in C horizons with increasing mean annual temperature. Our work suggests that deep in the subsurface, biogeochemical and reactive transport processes result from more numerous root-regolith interfaces than mass data suggest. We present a new paradigm for discerning patterns in depth distributions of root-regolith interfaces across multiple biomes and land uses that promotes understanding of the roles of those interfaces in driving key critical zone processes.