Seedlings of temperate rainforest conifer and angiosperm trees differ in leaf area display.

Annals of Botany
Christopher H LuskDaniel S Falster

Abstract

The contemporary relegation of conifers mainly to cold or infertile sites has been ascribed to low competitive ability, as a result of the hydraulic inefficiency of tracheids and their seedlings' initial dependence on small foliage areas. Here it is hypothesized that, in temperate rainforests, the larger leaves of angiosperms also reduce self-shading and thus enable display of larger effective foliage areas than the numerous small leaves of conifers. This hypothesis was tested using 3-D modelling of plant architecture and structural equation modelling to compare self-shading and light interception potential of seedlings of six conifers and 12 angiosperm trees from temperate rainforests. The ratio of displayed leaf area to plant mass (LAR(d)) was used to indicate plant light interception potential: LAR(d) is the product of specific leaf area, leaf mass fraction, self-shading and leaf angle. Angiosperm seedlings self-shaded less than conifers, mainly because of differences in leaf number (more than leaf size), and on average their LAR(d) was about twice that of conifers. Although specific leaf area was the most pervasive influence on LAR(d), differences in self-shading also significantly influenced LAR(d) of large seedlings. The ...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1991·Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. B, Comparative Biochemistry·C MencarelliV Pallini
May 26, 2004·Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine·Vincent Barra
Jun 9, 2007·Plant Physiology·Tim J BrodribbGregory J Jordan
Oct 1, 2006·American Journal of Botany·John S SperryJarmila Pittermann
Jun 10, 2011·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Ed BiffinAndrew J Lowe

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Citations

Jun 23, 2012·Annals of Botany·J S Pat Heslop-Harrison
May 17, 2018·The New Phytologist·Christopher H LuskBenjamin Smith
Apr 16, 2019·The New Phytologist·Christopher H LuskDaniel C Laughlin
Sep 1, 2015·Oecologia·Kerrie M SendallPeter B Reich
Sep 3, 2016·The New Phytologist·Christopher H Lusk, Daniel C Laughlin

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