Effects of microsite light availability on the survival and growth of oak seedlings within a grassland |
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Authors: | Yanhong Tang Izumi Washitani Hideo Iwaki |
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Institution: | (1) Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 305 Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan;(2) Present address: Division of Plant Ecology, National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences, Kanondai 3-1-1, 305 Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan |
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Abstract: | Effects of microsite light availability on the growth and survival of transplantedQuercus serrata Thunb. seedlings in aMiscanthus sinensis Anderss. grass canopy were investigated by a “plant's eye view” approach. Diffuse site factors, i.e., the fractional transmissions
of diffuse photosynthetic photon flux density, were estimated at 15 cm aboveground in 108 microsites where the seedlings grew.
Microsite diffuse site factors were significantly different between surviving and dead seedlings during the experiment period
from April to October (F1,14]=10.9, P<0.01). Relative growth rate of dry weight for individual seedlings positively depended on the diffuse site factors
(r2=0.482, P<0.001 in May; r2=0.312, P<0.001 in October). Only 16 seedlings produced their second stem flush within the grass canopy. The ratio of height
to dry weight of the second stem flush was significantly higher for the seedlings grew in shady microsites than for those
in less shady microsites (r2=0,471, P<0.01 in May). This study suggests that the microsite heterogeneity of light availability is one of the important
factors affecting the establishment of tree seedlings in patchy grasslands. |
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Keywords: | Light Microsite Miscanthus sinensis Quercus serrata Succession |
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