Coordination of Nutrient Recycling and Acquisition Strategies in Plants: Root and Leaf Trait Interactions

Nutrient acquisition, conservation, and recycling underpin plant fitness and the functioning of forest ecosystems. Under ongoing global change, these processes are increasingly coupled: rising atmospheric CO₂, altered precipitation, and intensified soil nutrient depletion reshape resource availability, forcing plants to adjust leaf and root traits in concert. For decades, ecologists have studied root- and mycorrhizal-based acquisition and leaf nutrient resorption largely in isolation. Yet global change is shifting the trade-offs between these two core strategies, introducing new uncertainty into forest nutrient cycling and community succession—and a need for integrated research grounded in forest ecophysiology.Emerging evidence points to a negative link between mycorrhizal dependence and phosphorus resorption: species with lower foraging efficiency and mycorrhizal reliance tend to show higher resorption efficiency. How global change mediates this coordination, however, remains poorly resolved, as does the way root–leaf trait interactions regulate interspecific coexistence and forest stability under changing conditions. The root economics space (RES) concept offers a framework for examining this root–leaf coordination, but its links to community-level outcomes are still unclear.This Research Topic addresses that gap by synthesizing recent advances in root economics and nutrient physiology. Its aim is to clarify how global change reshapes coordinated nutrient strategies and to quantify the cascading effects on forest ecosystem resilience. We welcome original research, reviews, and short communications on cross-scale plant nutrient strategy coordination under global change, including:-Global change effects on synergies between root nutrient foraging and leaf nutrient resorption-Mycorrhizal roles in mediating root–leaf trait coordination across soil fertility gradients-Root economics space as a lens for interpreting plant nutrient trade-off strategies-Links between nutrient coordination, species coexistence, and forest community stability Topic editors: Hongtao Xie, Ji Zheng, Melanie Brunn, Jianfan Sun Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82696/coordination-of-nutrient-recycling-and-acquisition-strategies-in-plants-root-and-leaf-trait-interactions