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Scientia Silvae Sinicae ›› 2021, Vol. 57 ›› Issue (4): 54-62.doi: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.20210406

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Trade-Off between Twig and Leaf of Pinus koraiensis at Different Life History Stages

Fengjuan Yin,Mingqi Wang,Guangze Jin,Zhili Liu*   

  1. Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management of Ministry of Education Center for Ecological Research, Northeast Forestry University Harbin 150040
  • Received:2020-12-21 Online:2021-04-25 Published:2021-05-21
  • Contact: Zhili Liu

Abstract:

Objective: The relationship between leaf size, twig size and leafing intensity reflects the ability of plant to use spatial resources. Our objective was to reveal the variation and trade-off of leaf and twig traits at different ages of leaf and twig at different life history stages for predicting intraspecific variations and plant survival strategies under different resource conditions. Method: In Liangshui National Nature Reserve of Heilongjiang Province, Pinus koraiensis is the main dominant species of mixed broadleaved-P. koraiensis forest, sample trees of the species at four different life history stages (seedlings, saplings, adult trees and old trees) were selected to measure their cross-sectional area of twig, individual leaf area, total leaf area and volume-based leafing intensity at different ages of leaf and twig. One-way ANOVA was conducted to test significance of the variations in leaf and twig traits among different life history stages and different leaf and twig ages. The method of standardized major axis (SMA) was used to examine the influence of current-year twigs and leaves at different life history stages on the relationships between twig cross-sectional area and individual leaf area, total leaf area, volume-based leafing intensity and between individual leaf area and volume-based leafing intensity, and the influence of leaf and twig ages on the relationships between twig cross-sectional area and total leaf area, volume-based leafing intensity. Result: The twig cross-sectional area and leaf area increased with the gradient of life history stages, while the leafing intensity decreased. There were significant differences in twig and leaf traits among leaf and twig ages. Leaf and twig ages accounted for the most of the variations in leaf and twig traits. Life history stages accounted for 17%, 7% and 3% of the total variation of twig cross-sectional area, total leaf area and individual leaf area. The correlation between current year twig and leaf traits at different life history stages showed heterotrophic growth. At sapling, adult tree and old tree stage, there was a significant positive correlation between the one-year-old twig cross-sectional area and the total leaf area; while there was a negative correlation between the current-year, one-year-old and two-year-old twig cross-sectional area and leafing intensity at old tree stage. Conclusion: At different life history stages of P. koraiensis, the trade-off strategies of the twigs and leaves were different. There was a correlation between the current-year twig and leaf traits at the seedling stage. The twig and leaf traits showed allometric growth at different ages of twigs and leaves.

Key words: Pinus koraiensis, life history stage, twig age, leaf age, twig cross-sectional area, volume-based leafing intensity, leaf area

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