檵木生物量分配特征

生物量是生态系统最基本的数量特征,其在各器官间的分配反映了植物适应环境的生长策略,是物种进化、生物多样性保护和生态系统碳循环研究的核心问题。檵木(Loropetalum chinense)灌丛是中国亚热带灌丛生态系统最具优势的一种灌丛类型。该研究以该灌丛建群种檵木为研究对象,采用整株收获法在个体水平上研究了器官间的异速生长、生物量在各器官间的分配以及与个体大小、灌丛更新起源和生境因子之间的关系。研究发现:檵木地上-地下相对生长关系符合等速生长规律,但随径级增大其等速生长关系可能发生变化;较小径级檵木叶-茎、叶-根为等速生长,随径级增大转换为异速生长。不同灌丛起源间,檵木叶-茎、叶-根相对生长存在显著差异。器官间相对生长的尺度系数与生境因子无显著相关关系,灌木层盖度和坡度通过影响檵木生长初期器官间的相对生长影响其生物量在器官间的分配。檵木平均叶质比为0.11,茎质比为0.55,根质比为0.34,根冠比为0.65。随径级的增大,茎质比(0.50–0.64)逐渐增大,叶质比(0.12–0.08)、根质比(0.38–0.28)和根冠比(0.91–0.43)逐渐减小。在次生灌丛中,檵木叶质比为0.12,根质比为0.33;在原生灌丛中,檵木叶质比为0.07,根质比为0.36。生物量向地上部分的分配与灌木层盖度正相关,叶质比与坡度负相关,根质比与年平均气温正相关。研究结果表明:随个体增大,檵木器官间的相对生长关系由等速生长转换为异速生长,生物量向地上部分的分配增加,地上生物量更多地分配到茎干中;干扰通过影响器官间的相对生长影响生物量在各器官间的分配,干扰导致生物量向叶的分配增加,向根的分配减少;光照减少促进生物量向地上部分的分配,坡度增加导致生物量向叶的分配减少,年平均气温升高促进生物量向根系的分配,年降水量的变化对生物量分配无显著影响。檵木生物量分配策略在一定程度上支持了最优分配假说。     

密度对尖头叶藜生物量分配格局及异速生长的影响

植物器官指示植物不同的功能,而植物器官生物量分配比例的变化表征了植物对资源获取能力的调整。在植物生长发育过程中,植物各器官呈一种明显的异速生长规律。利用异速生长分析方法,通过模拟不同密度(16、44.4、100、400株/m~2)下尖头叶藜(Chenopodium acuminatum)的生长特性,研究密度对尖头叶藜器官生物量分配格局及异速生长的影响。结果表明,随密度增加,尖头叶藜地上和地下器官都存在不同程度的竞争:其中,根和主茎生物量分配增加,茎和地上生物量分配减少,而叶和繁殖生物量分配不随密度变化而变化。研究发现,尖头叶藜各器官间具有显著的异速生长关系:其中叶∶主茎、根∶地上部分、根∶茎、根∶主茎、繁殖器官∶地上部分及繁殖器官∶根生物量间的异速生长不随密度变化而变化,属于表观可塑性;而叶∶地上部分、叶∶根、叶∶茎、茎∶地上部分、主茎∶地上部分、繁殖器官∶茎、繁殖器官∶主茎生物量间具有极显著的异速生长关系,异速指数和个体大小显著受密度变化影响,属于真正可塑性,这表明密度能够影响尖头叶藜各器官的生长变化。尖头叶藜叶∶主茎、叶∶根及主茎∶地上部分生物量间的异速指数在D4-密度时与3/4差异不显著(P0.05),符合生态代谢理论,而在D1—D3密度时与3/4差异显著(P0.05),表明充分竞争的植株更符合代谢理论,而竞争不激烈的植株对资源的投入具有物种特异性。     

干热河谷草本植物生物量分配及其对环境因子的响应

以干热河谷6种草本植物为对象,研究了水分、养分、刈割对生物量在根、茎、叶的分配及异速生长关系的影响.结果表明:刈割处理叶生物量质量分数从25.1%显著增加到31.2%,茎生物量质量分数从43.7%显著降低到34.2%;养分添加处理根生物量质量分数从34.0%显著降低到30.8%;水分处理对生物量分配没有显著影响.物种对根、茎、叶生物量分配有显著影响,适应贫瘠土壤的物种将更多生物量分配给叶和根,对茎生物量的分配相对较低.物种与环境因子存在显著的互作效应,表明环境因子对不同物种的生物量分配影响不同.适应贫瘠土壤的物种叶-茎标度指数和异速生长常数大于其他物种,而茎-根标度指数和异速生长常数小于其他物种.养分显著增加了叶-茎和叶-根的异速生长常数,刈割显著降低了茎-根的标度指数,水分处理则没有显著效应.环境因素对器官间异速生长关系的影响存在种间差异.生物量分配的种间差异及其对环境因素的响应特征可能对植物适应环境变化产生重要影响.     

西南典型半寄生植物毛叶钝果寄生的生物量分配研究

为深入理解半寄生植物的生长发育特征及其生存策略,对西南典型半寄生植物毛叶钝果寄生(Taxillusnigrans)的生物量分配模式和异速生长特征进行了研究,并建立了以长度(L)或基径(BD)为自变量的个体生物量(TB)回归模型：TB=0.0027L^2.3077,TB=134.99BD^3.334,TB=4.35L+8.34BD–183.85。结果表明,毛叶钝果寄生在幼龄和非幼龄阶段的生物量分配占比分别为叶>茎>吸器和茎>叶>吸器。在幼龄阶段,毛叶钝果寄生吸器和植冠(叶、茎和果实)间呈等速生长关系;在非幼龄阶段,各器官间的异速生长关系不完全符合异速分配理论,叶与吸器间的异速生长指数(1.01)显著高于异速分配理论的假设值(0.75)(P<0.001),而茎与吸器间呈显著的异速生长关系(P=0.001)。毛叶钝果寄生独特的生物量分配模式以及异速生长特征有利于其对寄生生活的适应。     

煤矸石山不同种植年限香根草生物量分配及异速生长分析

香根草(Vetiveria zizanioides)是一种良好的矿业废弃地生态修复物种,研究其生物量分配和异速生长关系,有助于深入了解香根草在矿区的生存策略与生态功能。该研究以贵州省六盘水市大河煤矿煤矸石山种植年限为4、5、8和15 a的香根草为对象,采用挖掘法和称重法对不同种植年限香根草的器官生物量、分配比例及异速生长关系进行了对比分析。结果表明:(1)随种植年限的增加,根、茎、叶生物量均呈现先增加后减少的趋势,且均在种植年限为5 a时最大,15 a时最小。(2)茎生物量分配比在种植年限15 a时最大(37.3%),叶生物量分配比在种植年限5 a时最大(36.1%),根生物量分配比不随种植年限的增加而发生变化,基本保持在30%左右。(3)种植年限为4、5、8 a时,地上部总生物量与根生物量、叶生物量呈异速生长关系;种植年限为5 a时,叶面积与根、叶生物量呈异速生长关系,与茎生物量呈等速生长关系。不同种植年限间的生物量分配及异速生长关系虽然没有一致规律,但体现了香根草在煤矸石基质中生物量分配的特点,且显示了其特别的生长方式和资源分配策略,为今后香根草在煤矸石山生态治理方面提供了参考依据。     

东北天然次生林下木树种的生物量器官分配规律

以帽儿山天然次生林主要下木树种为研究对象,探讨了植物生物量器官(叶、新枝、多年枝、细根、粗根)分配特征及其与物种和个体大小的关系。结果表明:1)林下植物器官生物量的相对生长遵循异速生长理论,相对生长关系并不唯一。叶与新枝(0.924～1.055)、多年枝与粗根(0.917～1.024)和地上部分与地下部分(1.064～1.125)近于等速生长,新枝与多年枝(0.585～0.700),叶与总枝(0.742～0.795),叶与总根(0.853～0.918),以及细根与粗根(0.658～0.750)的生物量相对生长表现为异速生长。2)林下植物生物量器官分配遵循异速生长分配理论,叶、新枝、多年枝、细根和粗根等的生物量比例依次是5.83%～20.60%、0.83%～7.42%、36.25%～68.24%、1.32%～6.75%和16.38%～42.88%、根冠比是0.272～0.866。3)器官生物量比例与物种和植物大小等有关,各植物的器官生物量比例有差异,随植物生长,各植物生物量的叶分配、新枝分配、细根分配和根冠比明显减小、多年枝分配明显增加(P0.05),仅少数植物的粗根分配无明显变化(P0.05)。     

种群密度对大果虫实形态特征与异速生长的影响

为揭示种群密度与植物形态特征、器官生物量间的异速生长关系,阐明植物在退化土地恢复过程中的适应策略,以大果虫实为材料,通过异速生长分析方法,研究种群密度对其形态特征、生物量分配与异速生长的影响。结果表明,种群密度对大果虫实的株型构建产生了显著地影响。随着密度增大,大果虫实株高呈减小趋势,其分枝数及分枝长度明显减小。大果虫实各器官生物量随密度增大而显著减小。随密度增大,茎和繁殖器官生物量分配呈减小趋势,根和叶片生物量分配呈增大趋势。这与最优化分配理论中水分、营养物质及光资源受限时的情况一致。密度对大果虫实株高:根生物量间异速生长具有显著影响,且对株高与器官生物量间异速指数和个体大小产生了极显著影响。密度对根:地上部分、叶片:根、繁殖器官:根生物量间的影响属于表观可塑性,而对根:茎、茎:地上部分、叶:其他器官及繁殖器官:其他器官生物量间的影响属于真正可塑性,说明密度改变了大果虫实的株型发育系统,并影响各器官间的异速生长,进而权衡器官生物量分配以完成生活史。     

武夷山常绿阔叶林木本植物小枝生物量分配

小枝是木本植物的重要组成单元,研究其生物量分配策略有利于了解不同物种对环境的响应。本文以武夷山常绿阔叶林群落中19种木本植物的小枝为研究对象,采取标准化主轴回归(standardized major axis,SMA)的方法分析小枝的叶重、叶片面积、叶柄重、茎重、叶数量等性状特征,研究在群落水平上和不同生活型上,常绿阔叶林群落木本植物的小枝生物量分配格局。结果表明:群落水平上小枝重、总叶重和茎重三者间均呈等速生长关系。同样的,在乔木和灌木不同生活型分类中,茎重和总叶重也呈等速生长关系。但是,小枝重和总叶重、茎重之间的关系却不一致:小枝重和总叶重在乔木、灌木中分别呈等速生长关系和异速生长关系;小枝重和茎重在乔木、灌木中分别呈异速生长关系和等速生长关系;此外,单叶重和出叶强度在群落水平上呈负等速生长关系。然而,这种负等速生长关系并不存在于不同生活型的植物中。小枝水平上,总叶柄重和小枝重、总叶重均呈小于1的异速生长关系,即随叶的增大,小枝需要分配更多生物量用于运输组织和支撑结构(叶柄)的构建。因此,叶柄投资是限制亚热带常绿阔叶林当年生枝和叶增大的重要因素,对于小枝和叶大小的优化选择具有重要影响。     

青藏高原东部高寒灌丛生物量分配对模拟增温的响应

植物生物量分配特征的变化反映了不同环境条件下植物的适应策略,全球气候变暖正在改变青藏高原高寒生态系统植被动态和生物量分配格局。然而,到目前为止,有关青藏高原高寒灌丛生物量分配特征对气候变暖的响应研究较少。为了探究气候变暖对高寒灌丛生物量分配的影响,以青藏高原东部典型的窄叶鲜卑花高寒灌丛为研究对象,分析了高寒灌丛灌木层、草本层和群落水平生物量分配特征对开顶式生长室（OTC）模拟增温的响应。研究结果表明：整个生长季节,模拟增温使空气温度和表层土壤温度分别升高0.6℃和1.2℃,使表层土壤水分含量下降2.7%。模拟增温使草本层和群落地上生物量显著增加57.8%和7.2%,使灌木层、草本层和群落根系生物量显著增加42.5%、105.6%和45.6%。然而,模拟增温没有显著影响灌木层地上生物量。同时,模拟增温使灌木层、草本层和群落总生物量显著增加25.6%、85.7%和28.4%,使灌木层、草本层和群落根冠比显著增加33.2%、30.4%和36.0%。由此可见,模拟增温在促进高寒灌丛生物量生产的同时将显著提高向地下根系部分的分配比例。Pearson相关分析表明,高寒灌丛生物量分配与空气温度、土壤温度和土壤硝态氮含量呈显著正相关关系;多元线性回归分析结果也表明,空气温度、土壤温度和土壤硝态氮含量解释了高寒灌丛生物量分配变异的50.8%以上。这些结果表明,青藏高原东部高寒灌丛植被能够通过调节生物量分配模式应对未来气候变暖。     

葎草种群自疏过程中幼苗构件性状及生物量分配变化

以雌雄异株攀援草本植物葎草为材料,通过每10 d测量1次,连续6次,测定幼苗期葎草种群的密度和高度、个体构件性状和生物量分配等参数,分析种群自疏过程中种群密度与个体构件性状及生物量分配的关系,研究葎草种群的自疏规律。结果表明:幼苗期葎草种群存在显著的自疏现象,种群密度60 d内下降了71%;幼苗期葎草由直立生长向横向生长时,种群密度和株高显著降低;自疏过程中存留植株的茎性状有显著变化,变化大小为节间长主茎长茎直径,节间长增加,叶性状变化大小为叶面积叶柄长叶厚叶宽叶长总叶数保留叶片数,根性状变化大小为总根长根体积根数根长最大根长;自疏过程中存留植株的构件生物量、单株生物量显著增加,而单位面积累积生物量呈阶段性下降;留存植株的地上生物量分配比相对稳定(P0.05),根茎比和叶茎比有极显著变化(P0.01);叶、茎、叶柄生物量与根生物量和地上生物量之间均呈极显著的异速关系(P0.01),茎随地上生物量增长呈等速生长,而叶、叶柄和根随地上生物量增长呈异速生长,地上生物量与叶、茎、叶柄及根生物量极显著相关(P0.01);茎生物量与密度的异速关系遵循最终产量恒定法则,叶、叶柄和根生物量并不满足-3/2或-4/3或-1自疏法则;地上和单株总生物量与密度极显著相关(P0.01),存留单株的地上生物量和总生物量与密度的异速关系遵循最终产量恒定法则。     

Biomass allocation patterns of Loropetalum chinense

Aims Biomass is the most fundamental quantitative character of an ecosystem. Biomass allocation patterns reflect the strategies of plants to adapt various habitat conditions and play a vital role in evolution, biodiversity conservation and global carbon cycle. Loropetalum chinense shrub is one of the most dominant shrub types in subtropical China. The objectives of this study were to quantify the allometric relationships and the biomass allocation pattern among organs, and to investigate the effects of body size, shrub regeneration origin and site factors on allometry and biomass allocation.
Methods Individual samples of L. chinense were harvested from shrublands in subtropical China and were further divided into leaves, stems and roots. The allometric relationships between different organs were modeled with standard major axis (SMA) regression and the biomass allocation to different organs was quantified. The effects of body size, shrub regeneration origin and other habitat factors on allometry and allocation were examined using Pearson’s correlation analysis and multiple linear regressions.
Important findings The isometric scaling relationships between shoot and root changed to allometric relationships with increasing basal diameter. The scaling relationships between leaf and stem and between leaf and root were isometric for smaller diameter classes, while for larger diameter classes they were allometric. These relationships were significantly different among shrub regeneration origin types. The scaling relationships between different organs were not affected by habitat factors; while the coverage of shrub layer and slope affected biomass allocation due to their influences on the allometric relationships between different organs at the initial stage of growth. The mean dry mass ratios of leaf, stem, root and the mean root to shoot ratio were 0.11, 0.55, 0.34 and 0.65, respectively. With the increase of basal diameter class, stem mass ratio (0.50-0.64) increased, while leaf mass ratio (0.12-0.08) and root mass ratio (0.38-0.28) decreased, and consequently root to shoot ratio (0.91-0.43) also decreased. In secondary shrublands, the leaf mass ratio was 0.12 and the root mass ratio was 0.33, while these values were 0.07 and 0.36 respectively in natural shrublands. The ratio of aboveground allocation was significantly correlated to shrub layer coverage (r = 0.44, p < 0.05). Leaf mass ratio was significantly correlated to slope (r = -0.36, p < 0.05) and root mass ratio was significantly correlated to mean annual temperature (r = 0.34, p < 0.05). Results showed that with the increase of body size, the scaling relationships between different organs of L. chinense changed from isometric to allometric, and more biomass was allocated to aboveground part, and concretely, to stems. Human disturbance affected biomass allocation by its influences on the allometric relationships between different organs, and by increasing biomass allocation to leaves and decreasing allocation to roots. Reduced light resource promoted the biomass allocation to aboveground part, and higher slope resulted in decreased biomass allocation to leaves, while higher mean annual temperature promoted biomass allocation to roots. The variation in annual precipitation had no significant influences on biomass allocation. The biomass allocation strategies of L. chinense partially support the optimal partitioning theory.     

Plant Biomass Allocation across a Precipitation Gradient: An Approach to Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest at Yucatán, Mexico

It has been assumed that plant biomass partitioning to stems and roots at the ecosystem level follows a single strategy according to which the stem biomass scales isometrically with root biomass, a hypothesis known as ??isometric scaling??. In this study, we examined an alternative theory used for plants: plant biomass is allocated preferentially to the plant organ that harvests the limiting growth resource, a theory known as the ??balanced growth hypothesis??. Our objective was to test these two alternative hypotheses across a water availability gradient. We quantified the stem and root biomass in a seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF) in three regions of the Yucatán peninsula along a precipitation gradient. Reduced major axis analysis showed that the slopes of the relationship between stem and root biomass across the study regions were statistically similar and significantly different from 1.0 (common slope?=?2.5), which contrasts with the ??isometric scaling?? hypothesis. The allometric coefficient was different between regions along the precipitation gradient, which showed that plant biomass allocation to stems is higher in high than in low water availability regions where biomass is allocated in greater proportions to roots. The stem:root ratio increases following the low to high water availability gradient. Our results showed that plant biomass allocation in the SDTF follows a simple allometric strategy in which greater plant biomass is allocated to stems irrespective of water availability, suggesting to the forest level that plant biomass allocation strategy is invariant across the water availability gradient.     

Allometric theory and the mechanical stability of large trees: proof and conjecture

Recent allometric theory has postulated that standing leaf mass will scale as the 3/4 power of stem mass and as the 3/4 power of root mass such that stem mass scales isometrically with respect to root mass across very large vascular plant species with self-supporting stems. We show that the isometric scaling of stem mass with respect to root mass (i.e., M(S) ∝ M(R)) can be derived directly from mechanical theory, specifically from the requirement that wind-induced bending moments acting at the base of stems must be balanced by a counter-resisting moment provided by the root system to prevent uprooting. This derivation provides indirect verification of the allometric theory. It also draws attention to the fact that leaf, stem, and root biomass partitioning patterns must accommodate the simultaneous performance of manifold functional obligations.     

Biomass estimation models and allocation patterns of 14 shrub species in Mountain Luya,Shanxi, China

Aims Shrub species have evolved specific strategies to regulate biomass allocation among various organs or between above- and belowground biomass and shrub biomass model is an important approach to estimate biomass allocation among different shrub species. This study was designed to establish the optimal estimation models for each organ (leaf, stem, and root), aboveground and total biomass of 14 common shrub species in Mountain Luya, Shanxi Province, China. Furthermore, we explored biomass allocation characteristics of these shrub species by using the index of leaf biomass fraction (leaf to total biomass), stem biomass fraction (stem to total biomass), root biomass fraction (root to total biomass), and root to shoot mass ratio (R/S) (belowground to aboveground biomass).
Methods We used plant height, basal diameter, canopy diameter and their combination as variables to establish the optimal biomass estimation models for each shrub species. In addition, we used the ratios of leaf, stem, root to total biomass, and belowground to aboveground biomass to explore the difference of biomass allocation patterns of 14 shrub species.
Important findings Most of biomass estimation models could be well expressed by the exponential and linear functions. Biomass for shorter shrub species with more stems could be better estimated by canopy area; biomass for taller shrub species with less stems could be better estimated by the sum of the square of total base diameter multiply stem height; and biomass for the rest shrub species could be better estimated by canopy volume. The averaged value for these shrub species was 0.61, 0.17, 0.48, and 0.35 for R/S, leaf biomass fraction, stem biomass fraction, and root biomass fraction, respectively. Except for leaf biomass fraction, R/S, stem biomass fraction, and root biomass fraction for shrubs with thorn was significantly greater than that for shrubs without thorn.     

兰州市主要绿化植物气孔性状特征

气孔是植物叶片与外界环境进行水汽交换的门户, 利用气孔特征反映植物对环境变化的响应与适应有助于了解干旱区绿化植物的适应策略。于2019年7月通过气孔印迹法对兰州市40种主要绿化植物气孔性状进行观察与测定。采用标准化主轴估计和系统独立比较分析建立气孔性状间的相关关系; 通过计算Blomgerg’sK值以检验系统发育信号; 利用聚类分析和主成分分析对气孔性状特征进行功能群划分。结果表明: (1)在所研究的植物中, 气孔性状特征在个体间差异显著, 植物生长型(乔木、小乔木、灌木和草本)会显著影响气孔长度、宽度、开度和密度, 叶习性(落叶和常绿)仅对气孔开度有显著影响; (2)气孔长度与宽度、气孔开度与面积间均为显著的异速生长关系, 气孔密度与面积和开度间为负异速生长关系; (3)系统发育会对气孔性状的相关关系产生显著影响, 虽然气孔性状的系统发育保守性不强(K < 1), 但气孔开度和气孔开张比具有显著的系统发育信号; 4)依据气孔性状特征可以将绿化植物划分为: 低密度-大面积、高密度-小面积和中等密度-适中面积共3种功能群。结合系统发育和异速生长理论能更好地解释气孔性状变异及适应策略。     

Shoot-level biomass allocation is affected by shoot type in Fagus sylvatica

Aims The present study aims (i) to examine if recently reported interspecific shoot-level biomass allocational trade-offs, i.e. isometric trade-offs between leaf mass (LM) and stem mass (SM) and between leaf size and leaf number, hold intraspecifically and (ii) to explore whether those scaling relationships are independent of shoot type (i.e. long vs. short shoots).Methods In order to address our questions, we used Fagus sylvatica saplings growing under a broad light range that were sampled in the Western Carpathians Mountains (Slovakia).Important findings We found that: (i) intraspecific shoot-level biomass allocational trade-offs differ from those reported interspecifically and that (ii) long and short shoots differ in biomass allocation scaling coefficients. Allometric relationships with slopes statistically smaller than 1.0 or higher than^-1.0, were found between SM and LM and between mean leafing intensity and individual leaf mass, respectively, in long shoots. In contrast, isometric scaling was found in short shoots. This suggests that leaf mass in short shoots is unaffected by shoot stem mass, in contrast to long shoots. Short shoots also had a larger fraction of biomass allocated to leaves. Beech shoots, as has been observed in other shoot dimorphic species, are specialized, with short shoots specializing in carbon gain and long shoots in space acquisition. A greater shift in LM than in SM among species during speciation shifting from allometric intraspecific relationships to an isometric interspecific scaling relationship between those traits could explain the discrepancies between the outputs of the present intraspecific study and others similar studies. This study draws attention to the importance of considering shoot types in future studies dealing with allocation rules in species with dimorphic shoots.     

Biomass allocation and leaf stoichiometric characteristics in four desert herbaceous plants during different growth periods in the Gurbantünggüt Desert,China

荒漠草本植物是荒漠生态系统物种多样性的主体, 对其生物量分配及叶片化学计量特征随植物生长的变化规律的研究有助于深入了解荒漠草本植物生存策略和功能特征。该文选择古尔班通古特沙漠4种优势草本(2种短命植物, 2种一年生长营养期植物)为研究对象, 通过野外原位多时段取样, 对比研究了四者生物量分配、叶片N-P化学计量学随植物生长的变化特征, 以及二者之间的关系。结果表明, 在生物量累积过程中, 4种植物根冠比逐渐减小, 地上与地下生物量间的相关生长关系也发生变化, 其中琉苞菊(Hyalea pulchella)和角果藜(Ceratocarpus arenarius)的相关生长指数先增加后减小, 并趋于稳定, 而尖喙牻牛儿苗(Erodium oxyrrhynchum)和沙蓬(Agriophyllum squarrosum)的相关生长指数由小到大并趋于等速生长。琉苞菊叶片N、P含量呈逐渐增长趋势, 而另外3种植物呈下降趋势, 表明所研究的荒漠植物在生长过程中, 叶片N-P化学计量发生改变, 叶片化学计量特征与生物量指标的相关性较弱。     

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

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 of both inter- and intraspecific comparisons, the same proportional biomass allocation pattern holds across extant seed plant species.     

The effect of nutrient availability on biomass allocation patterns in 27 species of herbaceous plants

We investigated allocation to roots, stems and leaves of 27 species of herbaceous clonal plants grown at two nutrient levels. Allocation was analyzed as biomass ratios and also allometrically. As in other studies, the fraction of biomass in stems and, to a lesser extent, in leaves, was usually higher in the high-nutrient treatment than in the low-nutrient treatment, and the fraction of biomass in roots was usually higher under low-nutrient conditions. The relationship between the biomass of plant structures fits the general allometric equation, with an exponent 1 in most of the species. The different biomass ratios under the two nutrient conditions represented points on simple allometric trajectories, indicating that natural selection has resulted in allometric strategies rather than plastic responses to nutrient level. In other words, in most of the species that changed allocation in response to the nutrient treatment, these changes were largely a consequence of plant size. Our data suggest that some allocation patterns that have been interpreted as plastic responses to different resource availabilities may be more parsimoniously explained as allometric strategies.