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I grew up with the idea that the root system of a tree mirrors the branch system, but that's not really how it works. Roots don't penetrate all that far down, a
by justinator 3y ago
I grew up with the idea that the root system of a tree mirrors the branch system, but that's not really how it works. Roots don't penetrate all that far down, and are more spread out across the surface, but certainly don't hold half the mass of the tree. The bigger the tree, the more this is true. A giant redwood does not have that much biomass underground as it does above it. The soil richness is generally pretty poor in those giant redwood groves.
- hinkley 3y agoRedwoods and a few of the other big trees are unusual in that they stop trying to pull 100% of their water from the ground. It’s hydrologically impossible. Some of it comes from epiphytes like moss, higher up in the canopy. Absorbed straight through the bark or via adventitious root hairs. Not all of the soil carbon from tree roots is in roots. Without the tree, more than just the roots disappear.