Root Biology Lab at
The Morton Arboretum

*We are hiring two positions for the Root Lab, a Postdoctoral Researcher and a Research Associate. If you are interested in working with us, please check out the full job descriptions below.

Recent Publications

Wang B, ML McCormack, DM Ricciuto, X Yang, CM Iversen. Embracing fine-root system complexity in terrestrial ecosystem modeling. Global Change Biology, (2023).

Weemstra M, OJ Valverde-Barrantes, ML McCormack, D Kong. Root traits and functioning: from individual plants to ecosystems. Oikos, 1: e09924.
​
Xia M, V Suseela, ML McCormack, PG Kennedy, N Tharayil. Common and lifestyle-specific traits of mycorrhizal root metabolome reflect ecological strategies of plant-mycorrhizal interactions. Journal of Ecology, (2023).

Yang Y, ML McCormack, H Hui, WK Bao, FL Li. Linking fine-root architecture, vertical distribution and growth rate in temperate mountain shrubs. Oikos, 1: e09924 (2023).

Iversen CM and ML McCormack. Filling gaps in our understanding of belowground plant traits across the world: an introduction to a Virtual Issue. New Phytologist, 231: 2097-2103 (2021).

Freschet GT, L Pagès, CM Iversen, LH Comas, B Rewald, C Roumet, L Klimešová, M Zadworny, H Poorter, JA Postma, TS Adams, A Bagniewska-Zadworna, AG Bengough, EB Blancaflor, I Brunner, JHC Cornelissen, E Garnier, A Gessler, E Hobbie, IC Meier, L Mommer, C Picon-Cochard, L Rose, P Ryser, M Scherer-Lorenzen, NA Soudzilovskaia, A Stokes, T Sun, OJ Valverde-Barrantes, M Weemstra, A Weigelt, N Wurzburger, LM York, SA Batterman, M Gomes de Moraes, Š Janeček, H Lambers, V Salmon, N Tharayil, and McCormack, M.L. (2021). A starting guide to root ecology: strengthening ecological concepts and standardising root classification, sampling, processing and trait measurements. New Phytologist, 232: 973-1122 (2021).
​
Weigelt A, Mommer L, Andraczek K, Iversen CM, Bergmann J, Bruelheide H, Fan Y, Freschet GT, Guerrero-Ramírez NR, Kattge J, Kuyper TW, Laughlin DC, Meier IC, van der Plas F, Poorter H, Roumet C, van Ruijven J, Sabatini FM, Semchenko M, Sweeney CJ, Valverde-Barrantes OJ, York LM, ML McCormack. An integrated framework of plant form and function: The belowground perspective. New Phytologist, 232: 42-59 (2021).

Zadworny M, J Mucha, A Bagniewska-Zadworna, R Ż, E Mąderek, D Danusevičius, J Oleksyn, TP Wyka, ML McCormack. Higher biomass partitioning to absorptive roots improves needle nutrition but does not alleviate stomatal limitation of northern Scots pine. Global Change Biology, 27: 3859-3869 (2021).