ROOT, THE ENDANGERED EARTH’S ANCHOR

The size and complexity of plant ecosystems make them truly global in scope.

They mold the earth and maintain it against change. Additionally, when we cultivate plants for agriculture, our root systems change. Therefore, we are sacrificing a means of defending against the effects of the climate crisis in the unavoidable process of growing food. So, let's look at how we're destroying our roots and what we can do to fix it.

Deep roots help to anchor the soil around them, preventing erosion and landslides in sloped locations. Bedrock can also be broken apart by them. Because of all of these factors, roots are fundamental to forest ecosystems and enable the growth of other plants. In fact, when trees appeared in the Devonian period some 400 million years ago, they fundamentally altered the globe. They not only nourish and hydrate plants, but they can also make it simpler for water and nutrients to remain in the soil. These systems are far more resistant to drought situations because roots store water in them for drier days and because deeply rooted soils retain moisture for extended periods of time.

Roots are a crucial defense against drought's effects because the climate problem will only make them more frequent and intense.By pulling carbon out of the atmosphere and storing it in the soil, roots can also help to slow down global climate change. In the process of photosynthesis, plants directly utilize CO2 from the air to create sugar. And a large portion of that is turned into biomass by the plant. Furthermore, a large portion of that biomass is underground, away from the atmosphere, in plants with relatively deep root systems. Some of that carbon is retained in the soil after the plant decomposes thanks to microbial assistance. Carbon dioxide enters the plant one way but does not exit it when the root systems are widespread. Strong root systems can directly aid in the fight against climate change because soil organic carbon, which is the carbon locked up in soils, is mostly stored by roots. So, roots both store carbon and defend soils against the effects of drought.

Roots are fantastic. But regrettably, roots are shifting just like everything else. Roots vary greatly from one another. Some plants, such as trees and other woody plants, have extensive, deep roots, whereas other plants, such as the crops we grow for food, typically have shallower roots. Furthermore, because we have turned so much forest land into farms, we have altered the distribution of plants around the world, essentially increasing the proportion of shallow-rooted crop plants. On the other hand, there is a phenomenon known as "woody encroachment" in which woody plants are encroaching in places where they have never before been able to survive.

Mostly at high latitudes, where climate change is warming regions that were once too cold to support forests, this is happening. Additionally, woody encroachment helps to restore some deeper-rooted plants to the equation and somewhat balances the scales. However, a 2022 study that used models to predict global root depth revealed that Earth's roots are getting shallower all over the world despite woody encroachment. This is due to the fact that while agricultural land continues to grow every day, only a small percentage of the Earth's surface is undergoing woody invasion.

According to the study, Earth has likely already lost 11.6 trillion cubic meters of its root volume, which means that the average root depth worldwide has shrunk by around 8 cm. A 5% reduction in the total root volume of Earth has occurred. Considering how recent this finding is, it is difficult to predict exactly what impact it will have. But soils already contain a relatively small amount of water, and the amount of water that they can store depends on the depth of the roots. Whatever happens with the climate catastrophe, this tendency is expected to endure for the next 100 years. Researchers who examine the climate catastrophe employ models with various presumptions regarding what actions humanity will take.While some models assume we won't try at all, others assume we will. But in each of those cases, roots are in difficulty. Models project that the Earth could lose up to 32.4 trillion cubic meters of rooted soil by 2100 if we expand our reliance on fossil fuels, which translates to 23 centimeters of root depth worldwide, almost three times what we have already lost. And while I would love to be able to tell you that is the worst-case scenario, it is unquestionably not. Researchers found that root depths decline even more, by up to 43.5 trillion cubic meters, or 30 centimeters globally, when they examined the model for what would happen to roots if we dramatically decreased emissions, in one of the most hopeful scenarios.

And the reason for this is that climatic change and root depth are not always related. Additionally, it is anticipated that more farmers will settle in some areas if the climate crisis doesn't destroy the land that is currently suitable for farming. The shrublands in North Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia, which are anticipated to change into grassland or agriculture, account for the majority of that root loss. That means that even though we must limit emissions, we cannot become complacent. We need to consider what it will take to protect the things that are already functioning, such as root systems. The soils can eventually become poorer or less fruitful if a significant percentage of it is not available for carbon or water storage. And we're still figuring out how to solve the issue. Exactly asking people to stop eating is not possible. The amount of crops that aren't utilized to feed people directly can be decreased, though. Reducing meat consumption might absolutely help because a lot of crops are utilized to feed cattle rather than people. That is as a result of energy loss as one ascends the food chain. More crops can be consumed by an animal during its lifespan than you could ever consume in terms of energy.

Therefore, eating crops directly is more energy-efficient than eating animals. This is crucial for red meat like beef because, in comparison to, example, chicken or turkey, feeding a cow requires a lot more crops. It's a sensible decision because raising cattle is likewise a carbon-intensive industry. Additionally, reforestation aids in reestablishing roots. If you've ever tried to remove an old stump, you know that trees have deep roots, and policy reforms that prevent deforestation and encourage the planting of additional trees may be able to counteract the root loss caused by agriculture.