Ontogenic change in leaf shape and crown form of a tropical tree,Scaphium macropodum (Sterculiaceae) in Borneo |
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Authors: | Toshihiro Yamada Eizi Suzuki |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Osaka City University, Sumiyoshi-ku, 558 Osaka, Japan;(2) Department of Biology, College of Liberal Arts, Kagoshima University, 890 Kagoshima, Japan |
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Abstract: | Crown architecture was analyzed forScaphium macropodum (Sterculiaceae), a common shade-tolerant emergent tree of a tropical rain forest in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Saplings
and poles shorter than 12 m in height had no branches, and gathered their leaves at the ends of the stem. The leaves changed
from entire to palmately-parted with increasing tree size. The parted leaves increased the light penetration through the clustered
foliage. The size of leaves including the blade and petiole ranged from 22 cm to 147 cm. Because the weight of petiole per
blade increased with leaf size, the leaf could not be enlarged infinitely. Taller trees with lateral branches bore small (about
40 cm in length) entire leaves. The light intensity in the forest increased from the ground to about 12 m tall and was nearly
constant from 12 m to 18 m. Crown architecture ofS. macropodum adapted to this light environment. The monoaxial trees lower than 12 m could thus increase the amount of light with vertical
elongation, and the branched trees higher than 12 m could increase it by means of lateral extension of crown area. |
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Keywords: | Crown form Indonesia Leaf shape Scaphium Tropical rain forest |
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