Scientists from the University of Tartu used innovative methods to figure out the gene sequences of plants beneath the surface of the soil. This led to the discovery that species richness among them is much greater than one can see above the ground.
The species-rich meadows of the temperate latitudes can sometimes contain dozens of plant species growing in an area that is no bigger than the palm of a hand. But as a rule, perennial plants have roots, rhizomes and bulbs hidden in the soil. On these species-rich grasslands, these could constitute up to three-fourths of plant biomass. Until now, it wasn’t possible to sort roots into species according to their visible characteristics.
There are many more plants belowground than aboveground. Inga Hiiesalu is taking samples of plants and the roots beneath them. Photo from personal archive.
In the study, samples of soil were taken from experimental plots at a meadow in Põlvamaa, near the river Ahja. The number of plants visible above-ground was counted, and then plants from the soil samples were sequenced, based on DNA taken from their roots. To achieve this, a specific region of chloroplast DNA was used to differentiate between plant species.
It turned out that at the same spot, up to two times more plant species can live in the soil belowground than aboveground. Continue reading
