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Abstract Background Even with extensive root growth, plants may fail to access subsoil water and nutrients when root-restricting soil layers are present. Biopores, created from decaying roots or soil fauna, reduce penetration resistance and channel root growth into the deeper soil. Further positive effects on plants result from biopore traits, as the pore walls are enriched in nutrients, microbial abundance, and activity relative to bulk soil. However, negative effects on plant growth have also been observed due to root clumping in biopores, less root-soil contact than in the surrounding bulk soil and leaching of nutrients. Scope We discuss methods for biopore research, properties of biopores and their impact plant performance based on a literature review and own data. We elucidate potential implications of altered root-soil contact for plant growth and the consequences of root growth in pores for the rhizosphere microbiome. Conclusions Biopores play an important but ambiguous role in soils. The effects of biopores on plant growth depend on soil properties such as compaction and moisture in an as-yet-unresolved manner. However, pore properties and root-soil contact are key parameters affecting plant yield. Knowledge gaps exist on signaling pathways controlling root growth in pores and on mechanisms modifying rhizosphere properties inside biopores. The degree to which negative effects of biopores on plant growth are compensated in the bulk soil is also unclear. Answering these questions requires interdisciplinary research efforts and novel imaging methods to improve our dynamic understanding of root growth and rhizosphere processes within biopores and at the rhizosphere-biopore interface.
Wendel et al. (Thu,) studied this question.