Fine root is the major organ that uptakes nutrients and water for plant . The response of fine-root traits to nitrogen (N) deposition affects its basic functions and thereafter plant performance, which may consequently lead to species loss. Meta-analyses had shown the magnitude of the overall root responses with some traits exhibited no significant response to N. However, these studies did not answer the core question how and why does a specific species respond to N deposition. In this study, we combined meta-analyses with field experiments on 16 coexisting species to show that species of different nutrient-acquisition strategies had different response directions to N deposition. Furthermore, the relations upon the response of root functional traits to N deposition seemed to be decoupled along the root economics spectrum. Our results showed how and why species of different strategies may respond to N deposition, which will help predict the community shift under global change.