Root responses to neighbors depend on neighbor identity and resource distribution

In a complex soil environment, competitive and environmental factors interact with individual traits to influence plant’s root growth patterns ability compete for resources. Here, we examine how of focal plant, Plantago lanceolata L., responds resource heterogeneity presence two neighbor species, Centaurea jacea L.and Poa pratensis L. A full factorial experiment tested the effects nutrient heterogeneity, neighbors, their interaction on responses Plantago. Roots in shared quadrants pot were harvested quantified by qPCR plants grown alone or neighbor, patchy even soil. The experimental treatments mass distribution two-way ANOVA. When resources evenly distributed, individuals increased allocation but not neighbor. patchy, responded more strongly than Centaurea, placed roots high-resource patch. These results demonstrate that can respond differently neighbors depending species integrating multiple cues non-additive behavior.