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Background and Aims <p>Plants forage for nutrients by root proliferation in nutrient-rich patches. While foraging for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) has been repeatedly confirmed, foraging for other essential nutrients, calcium and magnesium, has hardly been examined. Compared to N and P, these elements form much more stable patches in the soil, which makes foraging for them highly reasonable. In this study we aimed at investigating plant´s ability to forage for these essential cations and its relation to foraging for other nutrients and plant characteristics.</p> Methods <p>We examined preferential root placement into calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) rich patches, created by dolomite limestone, in a pot experiment with 16 common meadow species. Further we compared Ca + Mg foraging with foraging for N, P and potassium mixture (NPK).</p> Results <p>Eight of the 16 (50%) species showed significant root proliferation in dolomite-rich patches. It was less common than foraging for NPK recorded in 79% of species (11 out of 14 for that we have the data). Assuming that foraging for NPK shows the potential of species to change their root systems by proliferation, not all species use this potential to respond to the Ca + Mg gradient. Intensity of Ca + Mg foraging did not show any relationship to species preferences to soil pH, or forb-grass difference, but it was stronger in species with low Ca and Mg tissue concentrations.</p> Conclusion <p>Our experiment demonstrated, for the first time, active root proliferation in response to calcium- and magnesium-rich patches in heterogeneous substrate.</p>

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Root foraging for calcium and magnesium in common meadow plant species

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月14日

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  • Hana Skálová,
  • Karolína Pánková,
  • Pavlína Stiblíková,
  • Filip Křivohlavý,
  • Věroslava Hadincová,
  • Edita Tylová,
  • Tomáš Herben

摘要

Background and Aims

Plants forage for nutrients by root proliferation in nutrient-rich patches. While foraging for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) has been repeatedly confirmed, foraging for other essential nutrients, calcium and magnesium, has hardly been examined. Compared to N and P, these elements form much more stable patches in the soil, which makes foraging for them highly reasonable. In this study we aimed at investigating plant´s ability to forage for these essential cations and its relation to foraging for other nutrients and plant characteristics.

Methods

We examined preferential root placement into calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) rich patches, created by dolomite limestone, in a pot experiment with 16 common meadow species. Further we compared Ca + Mg foraging with foraging for N, P and potassium mixture (NPK).

Results

Eight of the 16 (50%) species showed significant root proliferation in dolomite-rich patches. It was less common than foraging for NPK recorded in 79% of species (11 out of 14 for that we have the data). Assuming that foraging for NPK shows the potential of species to change their root systems by proliferation, not all species use this potential to respond to the Ca + Mg gradient. Intensity of Ca + Mg foraging did not show any relationship to species preferences to soil pH, or forb-grass difference, but it was stronger in species with low Ca and Mg tissue concentrations.

Conclusion

Our experiment demonstrated, for the first time, active root proliferation in response to calcium- and magnesium-rich patches in heterogeneous substrate.