Light interception in species with different functional groups coexisting in moorland plant communities |
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Authors: | Chiho Kamiyama Shimpei Oikawa Takuya Kubo Kouki Hikosaka |
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Institution: | (1) Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Aoba Sendai, 980-8578, Japan;(2) Department of International Agriculture Development, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Setagaya Tokyo, 156-8502, Japan;(3) Graduate School of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan |
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Abstract: | Competition for light is one of the most essential mechanisms affecting species composition. It has been suggested that similar
light acquisition efficiency (Φmass, absorbed photon flux per unit aboveground mass) may contribute to species coexistence in multi-species communities. On the
other hand, it is known that traits related with light acquisition vary among functional groups. We studied whether Φmass was similar among species with different functional groups coexisting in moorland communities. We conducted stratified clipping
in midsummer when the stand biomass reached a maximum. Light partitioning among species was estimated using a model accounting
for both direct and diffuse light. Evergreen species were found to have a significantly lower Φmass than deciduous species, which resulted from their lower absorbed photon flux per unit leaf area and lower specific leaf area.
Shrubs had a smaller leaf mass fraction, but their Φmass was not lower than that of herbs because they had a higher leaf position due to the presence of wintering stems. Species
with vertical leaves had a higher Φmass than those with horizontal leaves despite vertical leaves being a decided disadvantage in terms of light absorption. This
higher Φmass was achieved by a greater leaf height in species with vertical leaves. Our results clearly demonstrate that light acquisition
efficiency was different among the functional groups. However, the trend observed is not necessarily the same as that expected
based on prior knowledge, suggesting that disadvantages in some traits for light acquisition efficiency are partly compensated
for by other traits. |
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