Gymnosperms encompass a diverse group of mostly woody plants with high ecological and economic value, yet little is known about the scope and organization of fine‐root trait diversity among gymnosperms due to the undersampling of most gymnosperm families and the dominance of angiosperm groups in recent syntheses. New and existing data were compiled for morphological traits (root diameter, length, tissue density, specific root length [SRL] and specific root area [SRA]), the architectural trait branching ratio, root nitrogen content [N] and mycorrhizal colonization. We used phylogenetic least squares regression and principal component analysis to determine trait–trait relationships and coordination across 66 species, representing 11 of the 12 extant gymnosperm families from boreal, temperate, subtropical and tropical biomes. Finally, we compared the relationship between family divergence time and mean trait values to determine whether evolutionary history structured variation in fine‐root traits within the gymnosperm phylogeny. Wide variation in gymnosperm root traits could be largely captured by two primary axes of variation defined by SRL and diameter, and root tissue density and root nitrogen, respectively. However, individual root length and SRA each had significant correlations with traits defining both main axes of variation. Neither mycorrhizal colonization nor root branching ratio were closely related to other traits. We did not observe a directional evolution of mean trait values from older to more recently diverged gymnosperm families. Synthesis. Despite their unique evolutionary history, gymnosperms display a root economic space similar to that identified in angiosperms, likely reflecting common constraints on plants adapting to diverse environments in both groups. These findings provide greater confidence that patterns observed in broad syntheses justly capture patterns of trait diversity among multiple, distinct lineages. Additionally, independence between root architecture and other traits may support greater diversity in below‐ground resource acquisition strategies. Unlike angiosperms, there were no clear trends towards increasingly thin roots over evolutionary time, possibly because of lower diversification rates or unique biogeographic history among gymnosperms, though additional observations are needed to more richly test evolutionary trends among gymnosperms.

中文翻译：

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裸子植物表现出与全球根经济空间一致的细根性状协调模式

裸子植物包括多种具有高生态和经济价值的木本植物，但由于大多数裸子植物科的采样不足以及最近合成中被子植物类群的主导地位，人们对裸子植物细根性状多样性的范围和组织知之甚少。 。 汇总了形态性状（根直径、长度、组织密度、比根长度 [SRL] 和比根面积 [SRA]）、结构性状分枝率、根氮含量 [N] 和菌根定植的新数据和现有数据。我们使用系统发育最小二乘回归和主成分分析来确定 66 个物种的性状-性状关系和协调，这些物种代表了来自北方、温带、亚热带和热带生物群落的 12 个现存裸子植物科中的 11 个。最后，我们比较了科分化时间与平均性状值之间的关系，以确定进化历史是否构成了裸子植物系统发育中细根性状的变异。 裸子植物根部性状的广泛变异可以在很大程度上通过分别由SRL和直径、根组织密度和根氮定义的两个变异主轴来捕获。然而，个体根长和 SRA 均与定义两个变异主轴的性状具有显着相关性。菌根定殖和根分枝率与其他性状均不密切相关。我们没有观察到平均性状值从较古老的裸子植物科到最近分化的裸子植物科的定向演化。 合成。尽管裸子植物具有独特的进化历史，但其根部经济空间与被子植物相似，这可能反映了两个类群植物适应不同环境的共同限制。这些发现提供了更大的信心，即在广泛的合成中观察到的模式正确地捕获了多个不同谱系之间的性状多样性模式。此外，根架构和其他特征之间的独立性可能支持地下资源获取策略的更大多样性。与被子植物不同，随着进化时间的推移，没有明显的根部越来越细的趋势，可能是因为裸子植物的多样化率较低或独特的生物地理历史，尽管需要额外的观察来更丰富地测试裸子植物的进化趋势。