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Mineral nutrition of carnivorous plants: A review

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Abstract

Plant carnivory is one of many possible adaptation strategies to unfavorable conditions, mostly low nutrient availability in wet, acid soils. The following issues concerning the mineral nutrition of carnivorous plants are reviewed: the relative importance of carnivory and root nutrition for growth; which nutrients (elements) from prey are of principal importance for growth; the relationship between mineral and organic nutrition based on carnivory; the interactions between carnivory and root mineral nutrition; and the importance of carnivory under natural conditions. Special attention is paid to aquatic carnivorous plants. Studies on mineral nutrition carried out in laboratory and/or greenhouse conditions are discussed separately from those carried out in field conditions. The emphasis of this review is on recapitulation of original data and conclusions of results from a variety of studies that approach carnivorous plants from an ecophysiological point of view.

Zusammenfassung

Die Karnivorie der Pflanzen ist eine von mehreren Adaptationsstrategien zu ungünstigen Bedingungen, meist zu niedrigem Nährstoffangebot in feuchten, sauren Böden. Es wird eine Übersicht präsentiert über folgende Fragen der Mineralernährung von karnivoren Pflanzen: die entsprechende Bedeutung der Karnivorie und der Wurzelernährung für das Wachstum; welche Nährstoffe (Elemente) von der Beute prinzipielle Bedeutung für das Wachstum haben; welche Beziehung ist zwischen der anorganischen und organischen Ernährung, die auf der Karnivorie beruht; welche Zwischenbeziehung besteht zwischen der Karnivorie und der Mineralernährung durch Wurzeln; und welche Bedeutung hat die Karnivorie unter natürlichen Bedingungen. Eine besondere Aufmerksamkeit ist den aquatischen karnivoren Pflanzen gewidmet. Untersuchungen über Mineralernährung in Labor- und/oder Gewächshausbedingungen werden gesondert von Ergebnissen diskutiert, die unter Feldbedingungen gewonnen wurden. In dieser Übersicht werden nachdrücklich Originaldaten und Schlussfolgerungen aus Ergebnissen verschiedener Studien rekapituliert, die sich mit karnivoren Pflanzen vom ökophysiologischen Standpunkt befassen.

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  1. Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Section of Plant Ecology, Dukelská 145, CZ-379 82, Třeboň, Czech Republic

    Lubomír Adamec

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Adamec, L. Mineral nutrition of carnivorous plants: A review. Bot. Rev 63, 273–299 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02857953

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