Tree Roots Evolution Nearly Ended Life on Earth

Tree roots major player in the circle of life

Photo by Elan smith on Unsplash

Almost the entire history of life on earth is centered around the evolution of tree roots. As such, the role tree roots play in the carbon cycle is vital to understanding the Earth’s past. Tree roots are crucial in delivering massive amounts of phosphorus to lakes, which in turn shoots upwards in the atmosphere. These roots also serve as an essential mechanism in converting carbon dioxide into oxygen.

Early vascular land plants evolved around 425 million years ago

During the Late Devonian, the diversity of land plants exploded. This diversity was probably due to the radiation of vascular plants. The spread of terrestrial vegetation likely contributed to an increase in carbon accumulation in carbonate ocean sediments and an increase in phosphorus flux to the ocean.

The first land plants evolved from freshwater multicellular algae. Their algal ancestors were haploid for all life cycles. The earliest land plants did not have vascular tissue to transport nutrients. Despite this, the earliest vascular plants evolved the ability to produce lignin. These plants transported sugars much more efficiently than conducting cells of mosses.