On the vegetative biomass partitioning of seed plant leaves, stems, and roots

The American Naturalist
Karl J Niklas, B J Enquist

Abstract

A central goal of comparative life-history theory is to derive the general rules governing growth, metabolic allocation, and biomass partitioning. Here, we use allometric theory to predict the relationships among annual leaf, stem, and root growth rates (GL, GS, and GR, respectively) across a broad spectrum of seed plant species. Our model predicts isometric scaling relationships among all three organ growth rates: GL is proportional to GS is proportional to GR. It also provides a conceptual basis for understanding the differences in the absolute amounts of biomass allocated to construct the three organ types. Analyses of a large compendium of biomass production rates across diverse seed plant species provide strong statistical support for the predictions of the theory and indicate that reproductive investments may scale isometrically with respect to vegetative organ growth rates. The general rules governing biomass allocation as indexed by the scaling exponents for organ growth rates are remarkably indifferent to plant size and taxonomic affiliation. However, the allometric "constants" for these relationships differ numerically as a function of phenotypic features and local environmental conditions. Nonetheless, at the level o...Continue Reading

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Citations

Aug 15, 2012·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Jianming DengJames H Brown
Feb 3, 2011·Plant Methods·Mahmood R GolzarianDesmond S Lun
Sep 13, 2008·PLoS Computational Biology·Van M SavageWalter Fontana
Aug 13, 2011·Ecological Applications : a Publication of the Ecological Society of America·Adam WolfJoseph A Berry
Aug 30, 2012·Briefings in Bioinformatics·Zhong WangRongling Wu
Mar 29, 2014·Nature Communications·Sabrina KleessenZoran Nikoloski
Sep 25, 2007·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Núria MarbàSusana Agustí
Sep 17, 2014·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Peter B ReichJacek Oleksyn
Feb 3, 2005·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Karl J Niklas
Feb 21, 2014·Plant Biology·V Minden, M Kleyer
Jul 21, 2005·Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety·Martin MkandawireE Gert Dudel
Mar 20, 2008·PloS One·Jian-Ming DengJian-Quan Liu
Aug 1, 2015·Journal of Experimental Botany·Jinhai CaiStanley J Miklavcic
Nov 13, 2015·Scientific Reports·Zhi-Qiang WangJian-Quan Liu
Jan 27, 2006·Nature·Peter B ReichJacek Oleksyn
May 1, 2009·American Journal of Botany·Terri L KoontzJames H Brown
May 1, 2008·American Journal of Botany·Karl J Niklas, Edward D Cobb
Apr 1, 2008·American Journal of Botany·Karl J NiklasEdward D Cobb
May 1, 2002·American Journal of Botany·Karl J Niklas, Brian J Enquist
Aug 23, 2016·Ecology and Evolution·Vasile Alexandru Suchar, Ronald Robberecht
Nov 30, 2019·AoB Plants·Jun SunDongliang Cheng
Mar 9, 2019·Frontiers in Plant Science·Jun SunDongliang Cheng
Nov 7, 2019·Ecology and Evolution·Zhe-Xuan FanShao-Lin Peng
Aug 5, 2017·Ecology and Evolution·Yongtao Jiang, Limei Wang

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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
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