RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 The fungal collaboration gradient dominates the root economics space in plants JF Science Advances JO Sci Adv FD American Association for the Advancement of Science SP eaba3756 DO 10.1126/sciadv.aba3756 VO 6 IS 27 A1 Bergmann, Joana A1 Weigelt, Alexandra A1 van der Plas, Fons A1 Laughlin, Daniel C. A1 Kuyper, Thom W. A1 Guerrero-Ramirez, Nathaly A1 Valverde-Barrantes, Oscar J. A1 Bruelheide, Helge A1 Freschet, Grégoire T. A1 Iversen, Colleen M. A1 Kattge, Jens A1 McCormack, M. Luke A1 Meier, Ina C. A1 Rillig, Matthias C. A1 Roumet, Catherine A1 Semchenko, Marina A1 Sweeney, Christopher J. A1 van Ruijven, Jasper A1 York, Larry M. A1 Mommer, Liesje YR 2020 UL http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/27/eaba3756.abstract AB Plant economics run on carbon and nutrients instead of money. Leaf strategies aboveground span an economic spectrum from “live fast and die young” to “slow and steady,” but the economy defined by root strategies belowground remains unclear. Here, we take a holistic view of the belowground economy and show that root-mycorrhizal collaboration can short circuit a one-dimensional economic spectrum, providing an entire space of economic possibilities. Root trait data from 1810 species across the globe confirm a classical fast-slow “conservation” gradient but show that most variation is explained by an orthogonal “collaboration” gradient, ranging from “do-it-yourself” resource uptake to “outsourcing” of resource uptake to mycorrhizal fungi. This broadened “root economics space” provides a solid foundation for predictive understanding of belowground responses to changing environmental conditions.