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A study reveals that deciduous trees' roots remain active in winter
Until now, it was believed that the roots, along with the rest of the tree, stopped their activity and ‘went to sleep’ during the winter, but curious research published today in Nature Ecology and Evolution shows that roots do not rest at any time and continue to grow.
This surprising research was conducted with four tree species — European beech ( Fagus sylvatica), silver birch ( Betula pendula), pedunculate oak ( Quercus robur) and common aspen ( Populus tremula) — in various temperate forests in Spain, Belgium and Norway. “Our data show that coarse roots remain active even at soil temperatures of under 3°C, refuting the theory that cold brings growth below ground to a halt,” remarks Marchand, the study’s lead author. Referenced article: Marchand, L. J., Gričar, J., Zuccarini, P., Dox, I., Mariën, B., Verlinden, M., Heinecke, T., Prislan, P., Marie, G., Lange, H., Van den Bulcke, J., Peñuelas, J., Fonti, P., & Campioli, M. (2024).
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