Root Barrier Traits and Their Ecological Roles: Water and Nutrient Transport, Mycorrhizal Associations and Stress Tolerance

This Research Topic will explore root apoplastic barriers (with a focus on suberin- and lignin-based traits) as key determinants of plant performance under external, soil-driven conditions. We aim to move beyond predominantly artificial growth settings by highlighting studies that link barrier formation and function to realistic environmental gradients (e.g., soil texture and structure, moisture regimes, salinity, nutrient availability, redox conditions, and multi-stressor environments).A central goal is to connect mechanisms to ecological outcomes: how barrier traits shape root hydraulics and transport constraints, regulate water and nutrient uptake, and contribute to stress tolerance and recovery. The Topic will also include plant–microbe interactions, especially mycorrhizal associations, as a key interface between root barriers, resource acquisition, and plant nutrition in soils.We also welcome contributions spanning molecular/cellular regulation of barrier deposition through to whole-plant physiology and field- or soil-relevant ecology, including work that integrates barrier traits with nutrient cycling, ion homeostasis, plant distribution patterns, and ecosystem-level water and nutrient fluxes.Potential themes include (but are not limited to):- Environmental regulation of suberin/lignin deposition and barrier plasticity across soil conditions- Root hydraulics, ion transport, and trade-offs imposed by barrier traits in realistic substrates- Barrier traits in drought, salinity, flooding/waterlogging, and combined stresses (tolerance and recovery)- Links between barrier formation, rhizosphere processes, and mycorrhizal symbioses- Genotypic/species variation in barrier traits and consequences for ecological performance and distribution- Field, mesocosm, and soil-based experimental approaches and trait-based frameworks connecting roots to ecosystem processes Topic editors: Jan Kovac, Marek Vaculik Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78485/root-barrier-traits-and-their-ecological-roles-water-and-nutrient-transport-mycorrhizal-associations-and-stress-tolerance