Roots may play a significant role in how nitrogen cycles through an agroecosystem, especially when long term leguminous sods are utilized within rotations. Root Length Density (RLD) and evolution of inorganic nitrogen from decomposing cover crop root systems in soil have been measured within several different crop rotational systems used in Maine and the Northeast in order to quantify the distribution of cover crops roots in the soil profile and root relationship to nitrogen (N) availability for cash crops following a winter cereal cover or legume sod in rotation. RLD was measured for one-year red clover (RC1), two-year old red clover (RC2) stands, and two winter rye (WR) stands planted the previous fall. RLD was determined immediately prior to tillage. Roots from the treatments were also exhumed and incubated with soil for 70 days at 60ºC over which time inorganic N was measured. Field and greenhouse grown roots were analyzed for C, N, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Significant differences (alpha=0.05) between cover crop fine RLD (cm cm-3) were not found at the 0-5 cm soil depth, but were detected in the 5-20 cm and 20-50 cm depths between treatments. Coarse roots were detected only in the red clover treatments and no difference was found between red clovers of different age with respect to coarse RLD. Incubations of root material from the field exhibited significant differences between treatments in amount of NH4+ present at 5, 10, 20, and 40 days (d) and NO3- at 5 and 40 d. Winter rye and red clover were consistently different in NH4+ evolution and RC1 and RC2 were different until day 20. Root chemistry analysis revealed significant differences between red clover and winter rye as well as between young and old red clover roots.