Banksia grandis

Exudation occurs in response to environmental constraints, especially P deficiency (e.g., Jones 1998 Hinsinger et al. 2003) and differs depending on the P-form (Lambers et al. 2002) and plant species (Nuruzzaman et al. 2006). Banksia grandis exuded citrate, malate, and trans-aconitate when supplied with aluminium-phosphate. It exuded less of these tricarboxylates and dicarboxylates, but instead lactate and acetate, when supplied with iron-phosphate (Lambers et al. 2002). Plant species differ in their abilities to use various P species (van Ray and van Diest 1979), which can be due to differences in their exudation behavior (Nuruzzaman et al. 2006) and acidification of the root zone (Haynes 1992). This can influence the interspecific competition and coexistence of species, as we will discuss later. 

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