Global Distribution of Root Turnover in Terrestrial Ecosystems

Vegetation characteristics, soil properties, and climate conditions were associated with turnover rates to examine patterns and controls for biomes worldwide. Building on prior analyses (Jackson et al. 1996, 1997), data were compiled from approximately 190 papers from additional journals, book chapters, technical reports, and unpublished manuscripts that included information on live root standing crop and belowground BNPP.

The papers described research on every continent except Antarctica, although the majority were from North America. In the database, the plant functional type and biome coverage were most abundant for grasslands and temperate zones.