Citation
Biomass allocation to leaves, stems and roots: meta-analyses of interspecific variation and environmental control
TL;DR
Plants allocate 30-60% of energy to roots
This meta-analysis established that plants allocate 30-60% of captured energy to growing and maintaining roots, with allocation reaching 70% in resource-limited environments. The research demonstrated that this allocation is evolutionarily optimized through four billion years of testing.
Critically, the study showed that plants adjust allocation based on what's limiting - more roots when water is scarce, more shoots when nutrients are abundant - providing the scientific basis for the root-to-shoot ratio framework.
Key Findings from Poorter et al. (2012)
- Plants allocate 30-60% of energy to roots
- Allocation can reach 70% in resource-limited environments
- Allocation is dynamically adjusted based on limiting factors
- Over-investment in shoots under perfect conditions leads to collapse when support is removed