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Underground Oxygen Deficiency Alters the Spatial Distribution Pattern of Rooting in Alternanthera philoxeroides
Linsha Chen1, Minjia Ge1, Fusen Huang1
1Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), Chongqing Key Laboratory of Plant Ecology and Resources in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Plants adapt to low oxygen by altering root growth. Alternanthera philoxeroides showed more roots near the surface under hypoxic conditions, a spatial rooting strategy for oxygen acquisition.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Environmental Science
- Ecology
Background:
- Terrestrial and amphibious plants face oxygen deficiency in waterlogged soils.
- Root development is influenced by nutrients and water, but oxygen's role in spatial configuration is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how dissolved oxygen levels affect the spatial rooting patterns of Alternanthera philoxeroides.
- To understand plant strategies for oxygen acquisition in hypoxic environments.
Main Methods:
- A custom hydroponic system was used to create three dissolved oxygen treatments (5%, 50%, 100% air saturation).
- Spatial rooting responses of Alternanthera philoxeroides were analyzed under these conditions.
Main Results:
- Low oxygen (hypoxia) restricted overall plant growth, reducing root number, length, and biomass.
- Plants exhibited spatial stratification, growing more roots in upper layers and fewer in lower layers under hypoxia.
- Root traits (number, length, surface area, volume, fork number) were asymmetrically distributed, favoring upper layers under low dissolved oxygen.
Conclusions:
- Alternanthera philoxeroides actively modifies root architecture to maximize oxygen uptake in hypoxic conditions.
- Spatial rooting patterns are a primary strategy for plants to cope with low oxygen, complementing physiological tolerance.
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