In the course of evolution, a great variety of root systems have learned to overcome the many physical, biochemical and biological problems brought about by soil. This development has made them a fascinating object of scientific study.
This volume gives an overview of how roots have adapted to the soil environment and which roles they play in the soil ecosystem. The text describes the form and function of roots, their temporal and spatial distribution, and their turnover rate in various ecosystems. Subsequently, a physiological background is provided for basic functions, such as carbon acquisition, water and solute movement, and for their responses to three major abiotic stresses, i.e. hard soil structure, drought and flooding. The volume concludes with the interactions of roots with other organisms of the complex soil ecosystem, including symbiosis, competition, and the function of roots as a food source.

1 Constraints on the Form and Function of Root Systems
D. Robinson, A. Hodge and A. Fitter
2 Distribution of Roots in Soil, and Root Foraging Activity
M.J. Hutchings and E.A. John
3 Turnover of Root Systems
W.K. Lauenroth and R. Gill
4 The Control of Carbon Acquisition by and Growth of Roots
J.F. Farrar and D.L. Jones
5 Hydraulic Properties of Roots
M.T. Tyree
6 Root Growth and Function in Relation to Soil Structure, Composition, and Strength
A.G. Bengough
7 Adaptation of Roots to Drought
W.J. Davies and M.A. Bacon
8 Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plant Root Systems Subjected to Flooding of the Soil
M.B. Jackson and B. Ricard
9 Root Competition: Towards a Mechanistic Understanding
H. de Kroon, L. Mommer and A. Nishiwaki
10 Root Exudates: an Overview
S. Inderjit and L.A. Weston
11 Mycorrhizas
F.A. Smith, S.E. Smith and S. Timonen
12 Signalling in Rhizobacteria-Plant Interactions
L.C. van Loon and P.A.H.M. Bakker
13 Interactions Between Oxygen-Releasing Roots and Microbial Processes in Flooded Soils and Sediments
P.L.E. Bodelier
14 Root-Animal Interactions
J.B. Whittaker