Oxygen consumption and diffusional resistance both determine maximum root length in flooded soils.

In flooded soils, maximum root length is jointly controlled by oxygen diffusion and tissue O2 consumption, with their effects not additive and respiration reductions strongly extending growth.

• Why it matters: Internal O2 partial pressure is uneven under flooding because supply relies on slow diffusion, so plants need a framework that accounts for both anatomy and metabolic demand.
• What they did: The authors integrate anatomical porosity with tissue-specific O2 consumption into a conceptual model and use model predictions to compare how changes in diffusion versus respiration affect internal aeration.
• The result: Enhanced porosity and reduced O2 consumption both extend the internal aerated path for root growth, but when gas-phase diffusion is efficient, porosity shows diminishing returns while modest respiration reductions increase root length.

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