Silicon in the soil–plant continuum: Intricate feedback mechanisms within ecosystems

Ofir Katz, Daniel Puppe, Danuta Kaczorek, Nagabovanalli B. Prakash, Jörg Schaller

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

70 Scopus citations

Abstract

Plants’ ability to take up silicon from the soil, accumulate it within their tissues and then reincorporate it into the soil through litter creates an intricate network of feedback mechanisms in ecosystems. Here, we provide a concise review of silicon’s roles in soil chemistry and physics and in plant physiology and ecology, focusing on the processes that form these feedback mechanisms. Through this review and analysis, we demonstrate how this feedback network drives ecosystem processes and affects ecosystem functioning. Consequently, we show that Si uptake and accumulation by plants is involved in several ecosystem services like soil appropriation, biomass supply, and carbon sequestration. Considering the demand for food of an increasing global population and the challenges of climate change, a detailed understanding of the underlying processes of these ecosystem services is of prime importance. Silicon and its role in ecosystem functioning and services thus should be the main focus of future research.

Original languageEnglish
Article number652
JournalPlants
Volume10
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Apr 2021

Keywords

  • Cycling
  • Ecosystem
  • Feedback
  • Plants
  • Services
  • Silicon
  • Soil

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Ecology
  • Plant Science

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