PDF herunterladen
Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2005; 7(5): 484-494
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-865905
Research Paper

Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart KG · New York

Relative Growth Rate and Biomass Allocation in Ten Woody Species with Different Leaf Longevity Using Phylogenetic Independent Contrasts (PICs)

J. Ruiz-Robleto1 , 2 , R. Villar1
  • 1Area de Ecología, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071, Spain
  • 2Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales y Agrícolas, Universidad Rafael Landivar, Campus Central, Vista Hermosa III, zona 16, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

Received: November 29, 2004

Accepted: June 22, 2005

Publikationsdatum:
15. September 2005 (online)

   Lizenzen und Reprints

Abstract

In this study, we compare the relative growth rate (RGR) and biomass allocation of 10 woody species (5 deciduous and 5 evergreen) from the Mediterranean region using phylogenetic independent contrasts (PICs) to test if these two functional groups differ in these traits. In general, the results were similar when using PICs or without taking into account phylogenetic relations. Deciduous species had a higher RGR than evergreen species, due to the higher net assimilation rate (NAR). Deciduous species had a higher specific leaf area (SLA) but a lower leaf mass ratio (LMR), resulting in a similar LAR for deciduous and evergreen species (LAR = SLA × LMR). In some cases, the use of PICs revealed patterns that would not have appeared if phylogeny had been overlooked. For example, there was no significant correlation between RGR and final dry mass (after 4 months of growth) but PICs revealed that there was a positive relation between these two variables in all deciduous-evergreen pairs. In general, RGR decreased with time and this temporal variation was due primarily to NAR variations (r = 0.79, p < 0.01), and also to variations in LAR (r = 0.69, p < 0.05). Considering the phylogeny, the only variable constantly different for all deciduous-evergreen pairs was SLA. This result, and the fact that SLA was the best correlated variable with RGR (r = 0.81, p < 0.01), reinforce the value of SLA as a variable closely associated to growth and to the functional groups (deciduous vs. evergreen).

Key words

Leaf area ratio - net assimilation rate - specific leaf area - deciduous - evergreen.

References

  • 1 Aerts R.. The advantages of being evergreen.  Trends in Ecology and Evolution. (1995);  10 402-407
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Antúnez I., Retamosa E. C., Villar R.. Relative growth rate in phylogenetically related deciduous and evergreen woody species.  Oecologia. (2001);  128 172-180
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Blanco E., Casado M. A., Costa M., Escribano R., García M., Genova M., Gómez A., Gómez F., Moreno J. C., Morla C., Regato P., Sainz H.. Los Bosques Ibéricos. Barcelona; Editorial Planeta (1997)
    Google Scholar
  • 4 Castro-Díez P., Montserrat-Martí G., Cornelissen J. H. C.. Trade-offs between phenology, relative growth rate, life form and seed mass among 22 Mediterranean woody species.  Plant Ecology. (2003);  166 117-129
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Castro-Díez P., Puyravaud J. P., Cornelissen J. H. C.. Leaf structure and anatomy as related to leaf mass per area variation in seedling of a wide range of woody plant species and types.  Oecologia. (2000);  124 476-486
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Catalán-Bachiller G.. Semillas de Árboles y Arbustos Forestales. Madrid; ICONA (M.A.P.A.) (1991)
    Google Scholar
  • 7 Chabot B. F., Hicks D. J.. The ecology of leaf life spans.  Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics. (1982);  13 229-259
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Choe H. S., Chu C., Koch G., Gorharm J., Mooney H. A.. Seed weight and seed resources in relation to plant growth rate.  Oecologia. (1988);  76 158-159
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Cornelissen J. H. C., Castro-Díez P., Carnelli A. C.. Variation in relative growth rate among woody species: scaling up. Lambers, H., Poorter, H., and van Vuuren, M., eds. Inherent variation in plant growth. Physiological mechanisms and ecological consequences. Leiden; Backhuys Publishers (1998): 363-392
    Google Scholar
  • 10 Cornelissen J. H. C., Castro-Díez P., Hunt R.. Seedling growth, allocation and leaf attributes in a wide range of woody plant species and types.  Journal of Ecology. (1996);  84 755-765
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Eamus D., Myers B., Duff G., Williams R.. A cost-benefit analysis of leaves of eight Australian savanna tree species of differing leaf life-span.  Photosynthetica. (1999);  36 573-586
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Freckleton R. P.. Phylogenetic tests of ecological and evolutionary hypotheses: checking for phylogenetic independence.  Functional Ecology. (2000);  14 129-134
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Galán-Cela P., Gamarra Gamarra R., García Viñas J. I.. Arboles y Arbustos de la Península Ibérica e Islas Baleares. Madrid; Ediciones Jaguar (2000)
    Google Scholar
  • 14 Garnier E.. Growth analysis of congeneric annual and perennial grass species.  Journal of Ecology. (1992);  80 665-675
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Harvey P. H., Pagel M. D.. The Comparative Method in Evolutionary Biology. Oxford; Oxford University Press (1991)
    Google Scholar
  • 16 Hoffmann W. A., Franco A. C.. Comparative growth analysis of tropical forest and savanna woody plants using phylogenetically independent contrasts.  Journal of Ecology. (2003);  91 475-484
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Huante P., Rincón E., Acosta I.. Nutrient availability and growth rate of 34 woody species from a tropical deciduous forest in Mexico.  Functional Ecology. (1995);  9 849-858
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Hunt R.. Plant Growth Curves. The Functional Approach to Plant Growth Analysis. London; Edward Arnold (1982)
    Google Scholar
  • 19 Lambers H., Poorter H.. Inherent variation in growth rate between higher plants: a search for physiological causes and ecological consequences.  Advances in Ecological Research. (1992);  23 187-261
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Larcher W.. Physiological Plant Ecology. Berlin; Springer-Verlag (1995)
    Google Scholar
  • 21 Lloret F., Casanovas C., Peñuelas J.. Seedling survival of mediterranean shrubland species in relation to root, shoot ratio, seed size and water and nitrogen use.  Functional Ecology. (1999);  13 210-216
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Loveless A. R.. Further evidence to support a nutritional interpretation of sclerophylly.  Annals of Botany. (1962);  26 551-561
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Lusk C. H., Contreras O., Figueroa J.. Growth, biomass allocation and plant nitrogen concentration in Chilean temperate rainforest tree seedlings: effects of nutrient availability.  Oecologia. (1997);  109 49-58
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Marañón T., Grubb P. J.. Physiological basis and ecological significance of the seed size and relative growth rate relationship in Mediterranean annuals.  Functional Ecology. (1993);  7 591-599
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Monk C. D.. An ecological significance of evergreenness.  Ecology. (1966);  47 504-505
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Montoya R., López-Arias M.. La Red Europea de Seguimiento de Daños en los Bosques (Nivel 1). España, 1987 - 1996. MMA. Madrid; Publicaciones del O. A. Parques Nacionales (1997)
    Google Scholar
  • 27 Montserrat-Martí G., Palacio-Blanco S., Millá-Gutierrez R.. Fenología y Características Funcionales de las Plantas Leñosas Mediterráneas. Valladares, F., ed. Madrid; Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, EGRAF, S. A. (2004): 129-162
  • 28 Nielsen S. L., Enríquez S., Duarte C. M., Sand-Jensen K.. Scaling maximum growth rates across photosynthetic organisms.  Functional Ecology. (1996);  10 167-175
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Paz H., Martínez-Ramos M.. Seed mass and seedling performance within eight species of Psychotria (Rubiaceae).  Ecology. (2003);  84 439-450
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 30 Poorter H., Garnier E.. Plant growth analysis: an evaluation of experimental design and computational methods.  Journal Experimental Botany. (1996);  47 1343-1351
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 31 Poorter H., Pothmann P.. Growth and carbon economy of a fast-growing and a slow-growing grass species as dependent on ontogeny.  New Phytologist. (1992);  120 159-166
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 32 Poorter H., Remkes C.. Leaf area ratio and net assimilation rate of 24 wild species differing in relative growth rate.  Oecologia. (1990);  83 553-559
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 33 Poorter H., Van der Werf A.. Is inherent variation in RGR determined by LAR at low irradiance and by NAR at high irradiance? A review of herbaceous species. Lambers, H., Poorter, H., and van Vuuren, M., eds. Inherent variation in plant growth. Physiological mechanisms and ecological consequences. Leiden; Backhuys Publishers (1998): 309-336
    Google Scholar
  • 34 Reich P. B.. Variation among plant species in leaf turnover rates and associated traits: implications for growth at all life stages. Lambers, H., Poorter, H., and van Vuuren, M., eds. Inherent variation in plant growth. Physiological mechanisms and ecological consequences. Leiden; Backhuys Publishers (1998): 467-487
    Google Scholar
  • 35 Reich P. B., Buschena C., Tjoelker M. G., Wrage K., Knops J., Tilman D., Machado J. L.. Variation in growth rate and ecophysiology among 34 grassland and savanna species under contrasting N supply: a test of functional group differences.  New Phytologist. (2003);  157 617-631
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 36 Reich P. B., Walters M. B., Ellsworth D. S.. Leaf life-span in relation to leaf, plant, and stand characteristics among diverse ecosystems.  Ecological Monograph. (1992);  62 365-392
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 37 Reich P. B., Walters M. B., Ellsworth D. S.. From tropics to tundra: Global convergence in plant functioning.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. (1997);  94 13730-13734
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 38 Ryser P., Wahl S.. Interspecific variation in RGR and the underlying traits among 24 grass species grown in full daylight.  Plant Biology. (2001);  3 426-436
    Artikel in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 39 Salleo S., Nardini A.. Sclerophylly: evolutionary advantage or mere epiphenomenon?.  Plant Biosystems. (2000);  134 247-259
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 40 Saverimuttu T., Westoby M.. Components of variation in seedling potential relative growth rate: phylogenetically independent contrasts.  Oecologia. (1996);  105 281-285
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 41 Shipley B.. Trade-offs between net assimilation rate and specific leaf area in determining relative growth rate: relationship with daily irradiance.  Functional Ecology. (2002);  16 682-689
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 42 Shipley B., Peters R. H.. The allometry of seed weight and seedling relative growth rate.  Functional Ecology. (1990);  4 523-529
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 43 Sobrado M. A.. Cost-benefit relationships in deciduous and evergreen leaves of tropical dry forest species.  Functional Ecology. (1991);  5 608-616
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 44 StatSoft Inc. .Statistica for Windows 5.1 (Computer program manual). Tulsa, OK, USA; (1996)
    Google Scholar
  • 45 Swanborough P., Westoby M.. Seedling relative growth rate and its components in relation to seed size: phylogenetically independent contrasts.  Functional Ecology. (1996);  10 176-184
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 46 Turner I. M.. Sclerophylly: primarily protective?.  Functional Ecology. (1994);  8 669-675
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 47 Van Andel J., Biere A.. Ecological significance of variability in growth rate and plant productivity. Lambers. H. et al., eds. Causes and consequences of variation of growth rate and productivity of higher plants. The Hague; SPB Academic Publishing bv (1989): 257-267
    Google Scholar
  • 48 Villar R., Held A. A., Merino J.. Dark leaf respiration in light and darkness of an evergreen and a deciduous plant species.  Plant Physiology. (1995);  107 421-427
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 49 Villar R., Marañón T., Quero J. L., Panadero P., Arenas F., Lambers H.. Variation in growth rate of 20 Aegilops species (Poaceae) in the field: the importance of net assimilation rate or specific leaf area depends on the time scale.  Plant and Soil. (2005);  272 11-27
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 50 Villar R., Merino J.. Comparison of leaf construction costs in woody species with differing leaf life-spans in contrasting ecosystems.  New Phytologist. (2001);  151 213-226
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 51 Villar R., Ruiz-Robleto J., Quero J. L., Poorter H., Valladares F., Marañón T.. Tasas de Crecimiento en Especies Leñosas: Aspectos Funcionales e Implicaciones Ecológicas. Valladares, F., ed. Madrid; Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, EGRAF, S. A. (2004): 191-227 http://www.globimed.net/publicaciones/LibroEcoIndice.htm
  • 52 Villar R., Veneklaas E. J., Jordano P., Lambers H.. Relative growth rate and biomass allocation in 20 Aegilops (Poaceae) species.  New Phytologist. (1998);  140 425-437
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 53 Wright I. J., Westoby M.. Cross-species relationships between seedling relative growth rate, nitrogen productivity and root vs leaf function in 28 Australian woody species.  Functional Ecology. (2000);  14 97-107
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 54 Wright I. J., Reich P. B., Westoby M., Ackerly D. D., Baruch Z., Bongers F., Cavender-Bares J., Chapin F. S., Cornelissen J. H. C., Diemer M., Flexas J., Garnier E., Groom P. K., Gulias J., Hikosaka K., Lamont B. B., Lee T., Lee W., Lusk C., Midgley J. J., Navas M. L., Niinemets Ü., Oleksyn J., Osada N., Poorter H., Poot P., Prior L., Pyankov V. I., Roumet C., Thomas S. C., Tjoelker M. G., Veneklaas E. J., Villar R.. The world-wide leaf economics spectrum.  Nature. (2004);  428 821-827
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar

R. Villar

Area de Ecología

Campus de Rabanales

Universidad de Córdoba, 14071

Spain

eMail: bv1vimor@uco.es

Editor: J. Knops

      >