The Response of Contrasting Populations of Erica Cinerea and Erica Tetralix to Soil Type and Waterlogging

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Abstract
Populations of E. cinerea and E. tetralix from acidic soils and from a limestone heath soil of high pH were grown on an acidic soil and 2 calcareous soils under various soil-waterlogging regimes. E. tetralix was much more tolerant of waterlogging than E. cinerea but there were no differences between populations within either species in waterlogging tolerance. The growth of E. cinerea was more reduced on alkaline soils than that of E. tetralix. The limestone-heath populations of both species yielded more on the alkaline soils and less on the acidic soil than the populations originating from acid soils. There were large differences in leaf chlorosis and in the accumulation of Ca and P in the leaves between the 2 spp. and between populations within each species when grown on the alkaline soil. The ability of the 2 spp. to grow on the alkaline limestone-heath soil is due, at least in part, to the evolution of physiologically-adapted populations.