Back to Search
Start Over
Calcifuge and soil-indifferent Proteaceae from south-western Australia: novel strategies in a calcareous habitat.
- Source :
-
Plant & Soil . Mar2024, Vol. 496 Issue 1/2, p95-122. 28p. - Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- Background and aims: Proteaceae are a prominent plant family in south-western Australia. Most Proteaceae are 'calcifuge', occurring exclusively on old phosphorus (P)-impoverished acidic soils, with a few 'soil-indifferent' species also found on young P-richer calcareous soils. Calcium (Ca)-enhanced P toxicity explains the calcifuge habit of Proteaceae. However, previous research has so far been focused exclusively on the roles of Ca and P in determining Proteaceae distribution, and consequently there is little knowledge on how other soil-based strategies influence this distribution. We aimed to study the effects of young calcareous soils on four soil-grown Proteaceae and assess differences between calcifuge and soil-indifferent Proteaceae to better understand their natural distribution. Methods: Two calcifuge and two soil-indifferent Proteaceae from south-western Australia were grown in six contrasting soils, including young calcareous, and old acidic soils. Results: When grown in calcareous soils all species showed root growth inhibition, micronutrient deficiency, Ca-enhanced P toxicity, and negative impacts on physiology. Calcifuge species were more sensitive to calcareous soils than soil-indifferent ones, although this varied between genera. Soil-indifferent species tended to produce more cluster roots, release more carboxylates per root mass, and allocate less Ca to their leaves, compared with calcifuges; they also had smaller seeds and were less sensitive to Ca-enhanced P toxicity. Conclusion: We surmise that a combination of these traits allows soil-indifferent species to tolerate calcareous soils. This study provides insight into how Proteaceae respond to young calcareous soils and how this influences their distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *PROTEACEAE
*CALCAREOUS soils
*ACID soils
*DEFICIENCY diseases
*ROOT growth
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0032079X
- Volume :
- 496
- Issue :
- 1/2
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Plant & Soil
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 176120108
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-023-06297-9