Root Distribution Research Articles

Deciphering the impact of nitrogen morphologies distribution on nitrogen and biomass accumulation in tobacco plants.

Nitrogen (N) distribution in plants is intricately linked to key physiological functions, including respiration, photosynthesis, structural development, and nitrogen storage. However, the specific effects of different N morphologies on N accumulation and plant growth are poorly understood. Our research specifically focused on determining how different N morphologies affect N absorption and biomass accumulation. This study elucidated the impact of different application rates (CK: 0 g N/plant; T1: 4 g N/plant; T2: 8 g N/plant) of N fertilizer on N and biomass accumulation in tobacco cultivars Hongda and K326 at different growth stages. Our findings emphasize the critical role of N distribution in various plant parts, including leaves, stems, and roots, in determining the complex mechanisms of N and biomass accumulation in tobacco. We found that in relation to total N, a greater ratio of water-soluble N (N w) in leaves facilitated N accumulation in leaves. In contrast, an increased ratio of SDS (detergent)-insoluble N (N in-SDS) in leaves and non-protein N (N np) in roots hindered this increase. Additionally, our results indicate that a greater proportion of N np in leaves has a negative impact on biomass accumulation in leaves. Furthermore, elevated levels of N in-SDS, N w, and N np in roots, and N np in leaves adversely affected biomass accumulation in tobacco leaves. The Hongda cultivar exhibited greater biomass and N accumulation abilities as compared to K326. Our findings highlight the significant role of distribution of N morphologies on plant growth, as well as N and biomass accumulation in tobacco plants. Understanding N distribution allows farmers to optimize N application, minimizing environmental losses and maximizing yield for specific cultivars. These insights advance sustainable agriculture by promoting efficient resource use and reducing environmental impact.

Deep tillage combined with straw biochar return increases rice yield by improving nitrogen availability and root distribution in the subsoil

ContextAfter over 20 years of practicing shallow rotary tillage combined with straw direct return in the middle and lower Yangtze regions of China, the yield potential has gradually disappeared, and new alternative tillage practices are required to continuously increase rice yield. ObjectiveThis paper investigates the yield effect and mechanism of deep tillage combined with straw return through two consecutive years of a field experiment. MethodsThree tillage depths (shallow tillage 6–7 cm, ST; medium tillage 12–14 cm, MT; and deep tillage 25–28 cm, DT) plus three straw management methods (no straw return, NR; straw direct return, SR; and straw biochar return based on the same amount of carbon input as SR, BR) were set up as experiment treatments. The aboveground and belowground growth traits of rice and soil nitrogen (N) status were determined. ResultsCompared with ST and MT, the DT enlarged rice root distribution and increased soil N content in the middle and lower soil layers (7–28 cm) and decreased the root–shoot ratio at the flowering stage, which was conducive to absorbing more soil nutrients from the subsoil and allocating more photosynthetic products to the aboveground parts and grain. The MT and DT increased spike number and rice yield compared with ST. Compared with NR, both SR and BR increased soil total and available N contents, and the remaining soil available N content at the harvest stage of BR was lower than that of SR. Straw return (SR and BR) improved rice yield by increasing spike number and kernels per spike, and the effect of BR on increasing rice yield was greater than that of SR. ConclusionsThe DT combined with BR increased root distribution and N content in the subsoil, promoted the utilization of subsoil's nutrients, and increased rice yield. It is therefore a promising tillage practice for achieving high rice yields.

Coordination between degree of isohydricity and depth of root water uptake in temperate tree species

In an increasingly dry environment, it is crucial to understand how tree species use soil water and cope with drought. However, there is still a knowledge gap regarding the relationships between species-specific stomatal behaviour, spatial root distribution, and root water uptake (RWU) dynamics.Our study aimed to investigate above- and below-ground aspects of water use during soil drying periods in four temperate tree species that differ in stomatal behaviour: two isohydric tracheid-bearing conifers, Scots pine and Norway spruce, and two more anisohydric deciduous species, the diffuse-porous European beech, and the ring-porous Downy oak. From 2015 to 2020, soil-tree-atmosphere-continuum parameters were measured for each species in monospecific forests where trees had no access to groundwater. The hourly time series included data on air temperature, vapor pressure deficit, soil water potential, soil hydraulic conductivity, and RWU to a depth of 2 m. Analysis of drought responses included data on stem radius, leaf water potential, estimated osmotically active compounds, and drought damage.Our study reveals an inherent coordination between stomatal regulation, fine root distribution and water uptake. Compared to conifers, the more anisohydric water use of oak and beech was associated with less strict stomatal closure, greater investment in deep roots, four times higher maximum RWU, a shift of RWU to deeper soil layers as the topsoil dried, and a more pronounced soil drying below 1 m depth. Soil hydraulic conductivity started to limit RWU when values fell below 10−3 to 10−5 cm/d, depending on the soil. As drought progressed, oak and beech may also have benefited from their leaf osmoregulatory capacity, but at the cost of xylem embolism with around 50 % loss of hydraulic conductivity when soil water potential dropped below −1.25 MPa.Consideration of species-specific water use is crucial for forest management and vegetation modelling to improve forest resilience to drought.

Border row effects improved the spatial distributions of maize and peanut roots in an intercropping system, associated with improved yield.

Border row effects impact the ecosystem functions of intercropping systems, with high direct interactions between neighboring row crops in light, water, and nutrients. However, previous studies have mostly focused on aboveground, whereas the effects of intercropping on the spatial distribution of the root system are poorly understood. Field experiments and planting box experiments were combined to explore the yield, dry matter accumulation, and spatial distribution of root morphological indexes, such as root length density (RLD), root surface area density (RSAD), specific root length (SRL), and root diameter (RD), of maize and peanut and interspecific interactions at different soil depths in an intercropping system. In the field experiments, the yield of intercropped maize significantly increased by 33.45%; however, the yield of intercropped peanut significantly decreased by 13.40%. The land equivalent ratio (LER) of the maize-peanut intercropping system was greater than 1, and the advantage of intercropping was significant. Maize was highly competitive (A = 0.94, CR=1.54), and the yield advantage is mainly attributed to maize. Intercropped maize had higher RLD, RSAD, and SRL than sole maize, and intercropped peanut had lower RLD, RSAD, and SRL than sole peanut. In the interspecific interaction zone, the increase in RLD, RSAD, SRL, and RD of intercropped maize was greater than that of intercropped peanut, and maize showed greater root morphological plasticity than peanut. A random forest model determined that RSAD significantly impacted yield at 15-60 cm, while SRL had a significant impact at 30-60 cm. Structural equation modeling revealed that root morphology indicators had a greater effect on yield at 30-45 cm, with interactions between indicators being more pronounced at this depth. These results show that border-row effects mediate the plasticity of root morphology, which could enhance resource use and increase productivity. Therefore, selecting optimal intercropping species and developing sustainable intercropping production systems is of great significance.

On roots of quadratic congruences

AbstractThe equidistribution of roots of quadratic congruences with prime moduli depends crucially upon effective bounds for special Weyl linear forms. Duke, Friedlander and Iwaniec discovered strong estimates for these Weyl linear forms when the quadratic polynomial has negative discriminant. Tóth proved analogous but weaker bounds when the quadratic polynomial has positive discriminant. We establish strong estimates for these Weyl linear forms for quadratics of positive discriminants. As an application of our bounds, we derive a quantitative uniform distribution of modular square roots with integer moduli in an arithmetic progression.

Three-dimensional image analysis specifies the root distribution for drought avoidance in the early growth stage of rice.

Root system architecture (RSA) plays a key role in plant adaptation to drought because deep rooting enables better water uptake than shallow rooting under terminal drought. Understanding RSA during early plant development is essential for improving crop yields, as early drought can affect subsequent shoot growth. Herein, we demonstrate that root distribution in the topsoil significantly impacts shoot growth during the early stages of rice (Oryza sativa) development under drought, as assessed through three-dimensional (3D) image analysis. We used 109 F12 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) obtained from a cross between shallow-rooting lowland rice and deep-rooting upland rice, representing a population with diverse RSA. We applied a moderate drought during the early development of rice grown in a plant pot (25cm height) by stopping irrigation 14 days after sowing (DAS). Time-series RSA at 14, 21, and 28 DAS was visualized by X-ray computed tomography, and subsequently compared between drought and well-watered conditions. Following this analysis, we further investigated drought-avoidant RSA by testing 20 randomly selected RILs under drought conditions. We inferred the root location that most influences shoot growth using a hierarchical Bayes approach: the root segment depth, which positively impacted shoot growth, ranged between 1.7-3.4cm under drought conditions and between 0.0-1.7cm under well-watered conditions. Drought-avoidant RILs had a higher root density in the lower layers of the topsoil compared to the others. Fine classification of soil layers using 3D image analysis revealed that increasing root density in the lower layers of the topsoil, rather than in the subsoil, is advantageous for drought avoidance during the early growth stage of rice.

Systemic strategies for cytokinin biosynthesis and catabolism in Arabidopsis roots and leaves under prolonged ammonium nutrition

Cytokinins are growth-regulating plant hormones that are considered to adjust plant development under environmental stresses. During sole ammonium nutrition, a condition known to induce growth retardation of plants, altered cytokinin content can contribute to the characteristic ammonium toxicity syndrome. To understand the metabolic changes in cytokinin pools, cytokinin biosynthesis and degradation were analyzed in the leaves and roots of mature Arabidopsis plants. We found that in leaves of ammonium-grown plants, despite induction of biosynthesis on the expression level, there was no active cytokinin build-up because they were effectively routed toward their downstream catabolites. In roots, cytokinin conjugation was also induced, together with low expression of major synthetic enzymes, resulting in a decreased content of the trans-zeatin form under ammonium conditions. Based on these results, we hypothesized that in leaves and roots, cytokinin turnover is the major regulator of the cytokinin pool and does not allow active cytokinins to accumulate. A potent negative-regulator of root development is trans-zeatin, therefore its low level in mature root tissues of ammonium-grown plants may be responsible for occurrence of a wide root system. Additionally, specific cytokinin enhancement in apical root tips may evoke a short root phenotype in plants under ammonium conditions. The ability to flexibly regulate cytokinin metabolism and distribution in root and shoot tissues can contribute to adjusting plant development in response to ammonium stress.

Study on Spline Stress of Separator Plates in a Wet Multi-Plate Clutch

The spline teeth fracture of separator plates in wet multi-plate clutches compromises driving safety and the vehicle’s lifespan. Tooth fracture is mainly caused by stress concentration at the tooth root and uneven circumferential load distribution. This paper considers parameters such as torque, teeth count, tooth profile, and misalignment errors, establishing the corresponding finite element (FE) model to analyze the impact of the above-mentioned parameters on the strength of the separator plates. Analysis under even and biased load circumstances demonstrated that an optimum tooth count and profile can significantly increase the strength of the separator plates, offering advice for the optimized design of wet multi-plate clutch separator plates.

Chemical constraints are the major limiting factor of root deepening in southern Brazil soils

Large soybean yield gaps are related to irregular rainfall patterns in several rainfed soybean crop regions, such as southern Brazil. More efficient rainwater use can be achieved in these regions through deeper roots. Therefore, assessing the status of soybean rooting and soil-related factors that drive root growth in soybean fields is mandatory for making management decisions that minimize the yield gap. To this end, we conducted a survey in 10 fields in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, during the 2021/22 season. Undisturbed soil blocks and cores and disturbed soil samples were collected in trenches up to approximately 80 cm deep when the soybean was at the R5 stage. The roots washed from the soil blocks were scanned to determine the relative root length density (RRLD), whereas the soil cores and disturbed samples were used for physical and chemical analyses. Hierarchical cluster analysis based on the RRLD was performed to group fields according to their similarities in root distribution and soil-related factors. Soybean rooting in RS fields is quite shallow, with >72% of the total RRLD in all fields located within the 0–20 cm layer and <15% deeper than 40 cm in most fields. Chemical constraints, such as high gradient of acidity-related variables along soil profile and low concentration of nutrients below 20 cm depth, limited soybean root deepening in 50% of the fields, while physical constraints were predominant in 30% of the fields. Thus, management strategies for reducing soybean yield gap by increasing rooting depth in fields of RS need to focus on improving subsurface chemical conditions for root growth.

ERoots: A three-dimensional dynamic growth model of rice roots coupled with soil

Root architecture systems (RAS) reflect the spatial structure of roots in soil. To clarify the structure and distribution of rice roots and investigate the coupling between roots and soil, wetland rice was selected as the experimental object, and a three-dimensional (3D) growth model of rice root environment-roots (ERoots) based on the parameter Lindenmayer system (L-system) was proposed. ERoots combines a root morphological structure model with a growth model and defines L-system grammar iteration rules with the unit time and unit step length as parameters. At the same time, the basic growth parameters of rice roots were obtained via destructive detection, and 3D growth visualisation of roots was realised via MATLAB. In the soil coupling process, a soil nutrient simulation map was constructed based on the spatial soil characteristics per unit volume, and an adjustment strategy for roots reaching the growth boundary was designed. The flexibility of the model coupled with soil was reflected in the tropisms of root growth, growth rate and root branching strategy. Finally, combined with soil spatial characteristic simulation, geometric growth boundary and 3D root growth model, the ability of 3D growth visualisation of rice roots was verified under three soil conditions: (1) unconfined root growth, (2) confined spatial root growth, and (3) root growth with tropisms. The results indicated that the ERoots root model basically realised coupling with soil and achieved a satisfactory simulation effect in regard to the rice morphological structure. This study provides a reference for 3D growth modelling and visualisation of other crop roots.

Effects of Different Crop Intercropping on the Growth, Root System, and Yield of Tiger Nuts

Intercropping is a vital cropping system that can create a conducive growth environment for crops and enhance land productivity. Tiger nuts (Cyperus esculentus L.) have high oil content and are adaptable to various soil types, making them a promising new oil crop with significant development potential. This study evaluated the plant height, leaf area, tiller numbers, biomass, land equivalent ratio (LER), and root morphological characteristics of tiger nuts. The agronomic traits and root distribution of tiger nuts and other crops were further investigated to achieve the goal of high yield for tiger nuts. Seven intercropping systems were implemented in the experiment: maize–tiger nut intercropping (MT), soybean–tiger nut intercropping (ST), cotton–tiger nut intercropping (CT), monoculture tiger nut (T), monoculture maize (M), monoculture soybean (S), and monoculture cotton (C). The results indicated that under different planting systems, the agronomic traits of tiger nuts in MT and ST modes were superior, with plant height and tiller numbers increasing by 7.6% to 11.6%. However, the plant height and Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) values in CT mode were slightly lower than in T mode. Additionally, intercropping reduced the leaf area by 6.2% to 37.9%. Root development was more pronounced in intercropping modes, with the ST mode showing the most significant improvement, increasing the 0–20 cm root length density (RLD) by 12.2% to 45.7%. Therefore, each of the three intercropping modes demonstrated distinct advantages. The LER of the intercropping systems ranged from 1.10 to 1.24, enhancing land utilization, with tiger nuts being the dominant species. Compared to monoculture, the ST mode exhibited the best overall effect. Understanding the impact of different planting systems on tiger nuts provides valuable insights for developing tiger nut cultivation in Xinjiang.

Response of preferential flow to soil − root − rock fragment system in karst rocky desertification areas

The response of preferential flow to the soil − root − rock fragment systems is essential for understanding the eco-hydrological processes in karst rocky desertification (KRD) areas. In this study, we investigated the soil properties, root, and rock fragment distribution characteristics and preferential flow in this system. Results show that there are differences in the development of preferential flow under five grades of rocky desertification: light rocky desertification (LRD) > potential rocky desertification (PRD) > non-rocky desertification (NRD) > moderate rocky desertification (MRD) > severe rocky desertification (SRD). Different degrees of rocky desertification have facilitating or inhibiting effects on preferential flow. LRD and PRD promote preferential flow with ratio of 6.6 %–9.6 %, while MRD and SRD inhibit preferential flow with ratio of 4.2 %–6.7 %. The preferential flow is simultaneously influenced by the components of soil − root − rock fragment systems. Root system indicators (i.e., root biomass, root bulk density, and root length density) generally decrease as grades of rocky desertification increase. The surface outcrops density, rock fragment density, and volume fraction tend to increase with grades of rocky desertification. A principal components analysis found that preferential flow of MRD and SRD is highly influenced by rock fragments, while LRD is more driven by root systems and soil properties. PRD is averagely influenced by the combination. These findings suggest that appropriate plant and rock fragment ratios can effectively avoid water loss in the form of preferential flow and more attention should be paid to the ecological problems of LRD and PRD areas.

Effect of solution pH on root architecture of four apple rootstocks grown in an aeroponics nutrient misting system.

The pH of the solution in the rhizosphere is an important factor that determines the availability and mobility of nutrients for plant uptake. Solution pH may also affect the root distribution and architecture of apple rootstocks. In this study, we evaluated the effect of solution pH on root system development of apple rootstocks using an aeroponics system designed and developed at Cornell AgriTech Geneva, USA. Four Geneva® apple rootstocks (G.210, G.214, G.41, and G.890) were grown in an aeroponic system under nutrient solution misting featuring continuously adjusted pH levels to three pH treatments (5.5, 6.5, and 8.0). Root development was monitored for 30 days and evaluated regularly for distribution and root mass. Images of the developed roots grown in the aeroponic system were collected at the end of the experiment using a high-resolution camera and analyzed using GiA Roots® software, which generates root architecture parameter values in a semi-automated fashion. The resulting root architecture analysis showed that the Geneva® rootstocks were significantly different for two architecture parameters. The length-to-width ratio analysis represented by two GiA Roots parameters (minor-to-major ellipse ratio and network width-to-depth ratio) showed that G.210 was flatter than G.890, which had a greater tendency to grow downward. Rootstocks G.214 and G.41 displayed similar growth values. The solution pH affected most root architecture parameter measurements where overall root growth was higher at pH 8 than at pH 5.5 and 6.5, which showed similar growth. In general, the average root width tended to decrease at higher pH values. While there were no significant differences in the leaf nutrient concentrations of P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Zn, Cu, and Fe within the four rootstocks, the pH level of the solution had a significant effect on P, Ca, and Mn. This study is the first of its kind to investigate the effect of pH on root architecture in a soil-free (aeroponic) environment and may have implications for apple root behavior under field conditions where pH levels are different.

Effects of Waterlogging Stress on Root Growth and Soil Nutrient Loss of Winter Wheat at Seedling Stage

With global climate change, flooding events are becoming more frequent. However, the mechanism of how waterlogging stress affects crop roots needs to be studied in depth. Waterlogging stress can also lead to soil nitrogen and phosphorus loss, resulting in agricultural surface pollution. The aim of this study is to clarify the relationship between soil nitrogen and phosphorus distribution, root growth characteristics, and nitrogen and phosphorus loss in runoff water under waterlogging stress during the winter wheat seedling stage. In this paper, Zhengmai 136 was selected as the experimental material, and two water management methods (waterlogging treatment and non-waterlogging control treatment) were set up. Field experiments were conducted at the Wudaogou Hydrological Experimental Station in 2022 to assess the nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in runoff water under waterlogging stress. The study also aimed to analyze the nitrogen and phosphorus content and the root distribution characteristics in different soil layers under waterlogging stress. The results showed as the following: 1. Waterlogging stress increased the characteristic parameters of winter wheat roots in both horizontal and vertical directions. Compared with the control treatment, the root length increased by 1.2–29.9% in the waterlogging treatment, while the root surface area and volume increased by an average of 3.1% and 41.9%, respectively. 2. Nitrogen and phosphorus contents in waterlogged soils were enriched in the 0–20 cm soil layer, but both tended to decrease in the 20–60 cm soil layer. Additionally, there was an inverse relationship between the distribution of soil nutrients and the distribution of wheat roots. 3. During the seedling stage of winter wheat, nitrogen loss was the main factor in the runoff water. In addition, nitrate nitrogen concentration averaged 55.2% of the total nitrogen concentration, while soluble phosphorus concentration averaged 79.1% of the total phosphorus concentration. 4. The results of redundancy analysis demonstrated that available phosphorus in the soil was the key environmental factor affecting the water quality of runoff water. Total phosphorus and dissolved phosphorus in the water were identified as the dominant factors influencing root growth.

Subsoiling Combine with Layered Nitrogen Application Optimizes Root Distribution and Improve Grain Yield and N Efficiency of Summer Maize

Subsoiling Combine with Layered Nitrogen Application Optimizes Root Distribution and Improve Grain Yield and N Efficiency of Summer Maize

How Does No-till Affect Soil-Profile Distribution of Roots?

No-till (NT) often causes prominent stratification of C and nutrients in the soil profile relative to tilled systems. We hypothesize differences in root distribution within the soil profile between NT and tilled systems could be one factor contributing to stratification. We evaluated how NT affects root length density (RLD), root biomass yield (RBY), and root diameter compared with other tillage systems and factors that may affect root characteristics. We reviewed studies until 23 January 2024 where RLD, RBY, or root diameter were reported under NT and tillage. The data on RLD, RBY, and diameter were tabulated and the weighted log response ratio (MLRR) and confidence intervals computed. Our meta-analysis showed NT increased RLD in the 0-10 cm depth, but reduced RLD at 10-20 cm. It increased RBY and diameter in the 0-20 cm depth and reduced both characteristics at 20-30 cm. Regardless of root characteristic, NT had mixed effects below 30 cm. However, across the soil profile (minimum 50 cm depth), NT had no effect on RLD and RBY. No-till-induced changes in roots can be related to increased compaction at the tillage interface. No-till stratified both RLD and RBY compared with high intensity tillage systems, although there were some conditions where NT stratified only RLD or RBY. No-till did not induce stratification of RLD and RBY in dry regions, mild or hot climates, in medium-textured soils, or compared with intermediate intensity tillage systems. Overall, NT can result in stratification of both RBY and RLD compared with high intensity tillage systems.

Distribution of Roots of Quasi-Polynomials of Neutral Type and Its Application—Part II: Consensus Protocol Design of Multi-Agent Systems Using Delayed State Information

Distribution of Roots of Quasi-Polynomials of Neutral Type and Its Application—Part II: Consensus Protocol Design of Multi-Agent Systems Using Delayed State Information

Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) Study on Gender Difference and Root Canal Morphology in Mandibular Premolars.

The study examined mandibular premolars' root and canal distribution across genders and sides. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging of mandibular premolars was performed using SINORA ORTHOPHOS XG 3D, with specific parameters set. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging of 100 participants revealed mostly single-rooted premolars, with slight variations, notably among females. Mandibular first premolars predominantly had single canals and roots, with a higher occurrence of two canals in females. Statistical analysis showed no significant gender- or side-based differences in root distribution. The findings underscore gender-specific variations in premolar morphology, highlighting the importance of tailored treatment planning, especially for the left side. While CBCT proves valuable, further research is needed to optimize its utility in endodontic decision-making.

Insight into chromatin compaction and spatial organization in rice interphase nuclei.

Chromatin organization and its interactions are essential for biological processes, such as DNA repair, transcription, and DNA replication. Detailed cytogenetics data on chromatin conformation, and the arrangement and mutual positioning of chromosome territories in interphase nuclei are still widely missing in plants. In this study, level of chromatin condensation in interphase nuclei of rice (Oryza sativa) and the distribution of chromosome territories (CTs) were analyzed. Super-resolution, stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy showed different levels of chromatin condensation in leaf and root interphase nuclei. 3D immuno-FISH experiments with painting probes specific to chromosomes 9 and 2 were conducted to investigate their spatial distribution in root and leaf nuclei. Six different configurations of chromosome territories, including their complete association, weak association, and complete separation, were observed in root meristematic nuclei, and four configurations were observed in leaf nuclei. The volume of CTs and frequency of their association varied between the tissue types. The frequency of association of CTs specific to chromosome 9, containing NOR region, is also affected by the activity of the 45S rDNA locus. Our data suggested that the arrangement of chromosomes in the nucleus is connected with the position and the size of the nucleolus.

Simulated plant-mediated oxygen input has strong impacts on fine-scale porewater biogeochemistry and weak impacts on integrated methane fluxes in coastal wetlands

Methane (CH4) emissions from wetland ecosystems are controlled by redox conditions in the soil, which are currently underrepresented in Earth system models. Plant-mediated radial oxygen loss (ROL) can increase soil O2 availability, affect local redox conditions, and cause heterogeneous distribution of redox-sensitive chemical species at the root scale, which would affect CH4 emissions integrated over larger scales. In this study, we used a subsurface geochemical simulator (PFLOTRAN) to quantify the effects of incorporating either spatially homogeneous ROL or more complex heterogeneous ROL on model predictions of porewater solute concentration depth profiles (dissolved organic carbon, methane, sulfate, sulfide) and column integrated CH4 fluxes for a tidal coastal wetland. From the heterogeneous ROL simulation, we obtained 18% higher column averaged CH4 concentration at the rooting zone but 5% lower total CH4 flux compared to simulations of the homogeneous ROL or without ROL. This difference is because lower CH4 concentrations occurred in the same rhizosphere volume that was directly connected with plant-mediated transport of CH4 from the rooting zone to the atmosphere. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the impacts of heterogeneous ROL on model predictions of porewater oxygen and sulfide concentrations will be more important under conditions of higher ROL fluxes or more heterogeneous root distribution (lower root densities). Despite the small impact on predicted CH4 emissions, the simulated ROL drastically reduced porewater concentrations of sulfide, an effective phytotoxin, indicating that incorporating ROL combined with sulfur cycling into ecosystem models could potentially improve predictions of plant productivity in coastal wetland ecosystems.