Chemical composition of 24 wild species differing in relative growth rate

Poorter, Hendrik; Bergkotte, M.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-3040.1992.tb01476.x

Cited by 261 publications

(227 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…As previously observed among herbaceous species (Poorter & Bergkotte, 1992), there was a negative correlation between total minerals and C m (Fig. 2d) which has been suggested as a major factor stabilizing foliar G (Poorter & Bergkotte, 1992).…”

Section: Foliage Construction Cost As An Integrated Estimate Of Leaf supporting

confidence: 67%

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Energy requirement for foliage formation is not constant along canopy light gradients in temperate deciduous trees

Niinemets

1999

New Phytologist

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Foliage construction cost (glucose requirement for formation of a unit foliar biomass, G, kg glu kg −" ), chemical composition and morphology were examined along a light gradient across the canopies in five deciduous species, which ranked according to increasing shade-tolerance as Populus tremula Fraxinus excelsior Tilia cordata l Corylus avellana Fagus sylvatica. Light conditions in the canopy were estimated by a hemispheric photographic technique, allowing ranking of sample locations according to long-term light input incident to the sampled leaves (relative irradiance). G and foliage carbon concentration increased with increasing relative irradiance in F. excelsior, T. cordata and C. avellana, but were independent of irradiance in F. sylvatica and P. tremula. However, if G of non-structural-carbohydrate-free dry mass was considered, it also increased with increasing relative irradiance in P. tremula. A positive correlation between the concentration of carbon-rich lignin and irradiance, probably a result of the acclimation to greater water stress at higher light, was the major reason for the lightdependence of G. Lignin concentrations were highest in more shade-tolerant species, resulting in greatest carbon concentrations in these species. Since carbon concentration and G are directly linked, the leaves of shade-tolerant species were also more expensive to construct. As the result of these effects, G increased faster with increasing leaf dry mass per area which was mainly determined by relative irradiance, in shade-tolerators. Given that shadetolerant species had lower leaf dry mass per area at common irradiance and that this saturated at lower relative irradiance than leaf dry mass per area in the intolerant species, it was concluded that enhanced energy requirements for foliage construction might constrain species morphological plasticity and the upper limit of leaf dry mass per area attainable at high light.

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Section: Foliage Construction Cost As An Integrated Estimate Of Leaf supporting

confidence: 67%

“…2d) which has been suggested as a major factor stabilizing foliar G (Poorter & Bergkotte, 1992). However, in herbs, total mineral concentration varied from 8 to 16%, and lignin concentration from 2 to 5% (Poorter & Bergkotte, 1992).…”

Section: Foliage Construction Cost As An Integrated Estimate Of Leaf mentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy requirement for foliage formation is not constant along canopy light gradients in temperate deciduous trees

Niinemets

1999

New Phytologist

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“…Our results do not show a .significant difference in carbon concentration between the fast-and slow-growing species growing with free access to nitrate (RGRmax- fig.8b). This is in contrast with the results of Poorter & Bergkotte (1992), who found a tiegative correlation between RGR^^^ and C concentration for 24 wild species. For their eight grass species, which are in the satne RGR,,,ax range as the Foa series, however, no significant differences were found.…”

Section: Carbon Concentration and Anatomycontrasting

confidence: 56%

“…In contrast, the slow-growing species possibly produce more lignin, which has a high carbon content of 69% (Penning de Vries, Brunsting & Van Laar 1974;Poorter & Bergkotte 1992). Such a contrasting response might explain the larger difference in carbon concentration between the species when plants are grown at a severely limiting N supply.…”

Section: Carbon Concentration and Anatomymentioning

confidence: 84%

Effects of nitrogen supply on the anatomy and chemical composition of leaves of four grass species belonging to the genus Poa, as determined by image‐processing analysis and pyrolysis–mass spectrometry

Arendonk

Niemann

Boon

et al. 1997

Plant Cell & Environment

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Previous experiments have shown that the anatomy and chemical composition of leaves of inherently fast‐ and slow‐growing grass species, grown at non‐limiting nitrogen supply, differ systematically. The present experiment was carried out to investigate whether these differences persist when the plants are grown at an intermediate or a very low nitrogen supply. To this end, the inherently fast‐growing Poa annua L. and Poa trivialis L., and the inherently slow‐growing Poa compressa L. and Poa pratensis (L.) Schreb. were grown hydroponically at three levels of nitrate supply: at optimum (RGRmax) and at relative addition rates of 100 and 50 mmol N (mol N)−1 d−1 (RAR100 and RAR50), respectively. As expected, at the lowest N supply, the potentially fast‐growing species grew at the same rate as the inherently slow‐growing ones. Similarly, the differences in leaf area ratio (LAR, leaf area:total dry mass), specific leaf area (SLA, leaf arear:leaf dry mass) and leaf mass ratio (LMR, leaf dry mass:total dry mass) disappeared. Under optimal conditions, the fast‐growing species differed from the slow‐growing ones in that they had a higher N concentration. There were no significant differences in C concentration. With decreasing N supply, the total N concentration decreased and the differences between the species disappeared. The total C concentration increased for the fast‐growing species and decreased for the slow‐growing ones, i.e. the small, but insignificant, difference in C concentration between the species at RGRmax increased with decreasing N supply. The chemical composition of the leaves at low N supply, analysed in more detail by pyrolysis–mass spectrometry, showed an increase in the relative amounts of guaiacyl lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose, whereas those of syringyl lignin and protein decreased. The anatomy and morphology of the leaves of the four grass species differing in RGRmax were analysed by image‐processing analysis. The proportion of the total volume occupied by mesophyll plus intercellular spaces and epidermis did not correlate with the amount of leaf mass per unit leaf area (specific leaf mass, SLM) at different N supply. The higher SLM at low N supply was caused partly by a high proportion of non‐veinal sclerenchymatic cells per cross‐section and partly by the smaller volume of epidermal cells. We conclude that the decrease in relative growth rate (and increase in SLM) at decreasing N supply is partly due to chemical and anatomical changes. The differences between the fast‐ and slow‐growing grass species at an optimum nutrient supply diminished when plants were growing at a limiting nitrogen supply.

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“…This paper singles out the plant's control over the turnover of organic matter and points towards a critical role for protective leaf traits (against the biotic or abiotic environment) that act against herbivores and allow long leaf lifespans (Coley, 1980 ;Chabot & Hicks, 1982 ;Southwood et al, 1986). Such ' defences ', which seem to have a strong genetic basis, occupy one side of a fundamental, interspecific trade-off against traits that confer the potential for fast plant growth (Coley et al, 1985 ;Coley, 1988 ;Loehle, 1988 ;Herms & Mattson, 1992 ;Poorter & Bergkotte, 1992 ;Chapin et al, 1993 ;Grime et al, 1997 ;Cornelissen et al, 1998), the latter itself a major determinant of ecosystem function (Grime, 1979). Another way of approaching the same trade-off (see the Discussion section) is to compare species in terms of emphasis on resource acquisition versus resource conservation (Lambers et al, 1998 ;Poorter & Garnier, 1999).…”

Section: mentioning

confidence: 99%

Leaf structure and defence control litter decomposition rate across species and life forms in regional floras on two continents

Cornelissen¹,

Pérez‐Harguindeguy²,

Dı́az³

et al. 1999

New Phytologist

442

365

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There is some evidence that traits of fresh leaves that provide structural or chemical protection (' defence ') remain operational in the leaf litter and control interspecific variation in decomposition rate in or on the soil. We tested experimentally whether the negative relationship between foliar defence and litter decomposition rate is fundamental, i.e. whether it is seen consistently across higher plant species and life forms, and whether it is repeated in the floras of geographically and climatically distinct areas separated by an ocean. We employed the published results of two outdoor litter bag experiments, in which we simultaneously compared the relative mass losses (' decomposibility ') of leaf litters of a wide range of plant species. One experiment was in Co! rdoba, Argentina, and included 48 Argentine species typical of the dry, subtropical landscapes along a steep altitudinal gradient. The other was in Sheffield, UK, and hosted 72 British species typical of the temperate-Atlantic landscape there. We linked the two experiments through a similar experiment in Sheffield that hosted litters of subsets of both the Argentine and British species. We also tested fresh leaves of all species from the same areas for tensile strength (' toughness ') and relative palatability to generalist herbivorous snails in multi-species ' cafeteria ' experiments. Both in Argentina and in Great Britain there were highly significant correlations between leaf palatability (r l 0.61 ; 0.73) or leaf tensile strength (r l k0.60 ; k0.60) and litter mass loss across all species. These relationships could be explained by variation both between and within broad life-form groups. Specific leaf area (area : dry mass) of fresh leaves was consistently correlated only with litter mass loss within British life form groups. We illustrated the possible ecosystem consequences of these relationships by comparing functional traits of British species differing in leaf habit. In comparison with deciduous species, evergreens generally had innately slow growth, which corresponded to their longer-lived leaves of lower specific leaf area, higher tensile strength and lower palatability to generalist invertebrate herbivores. Correspondingly, evergreens produced more resistant leaf litter. Thus, slow-growing evergreens might maintain their position in infertile ecosystems through leaf traits that help them to conserve their nutrients efficiently and to keep nutrient mineralization low, thereby not allowing potentially fast-growing deciduous species to outcompete them.

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Chemical composition of 24 wild species differing in relative growth rate

Cited by 261 publications

References 30 publications

Energy requirement for foliage formation is not constant along canopy light gradients in temperate deciduous trees

Energy requirement for foliage formation is not constant along canopy light gradients in temperate deciduous trees

Effects of nitrogen supply on the anatomy and chemical composition of leaves of four grass species belonging to the genus Poa, as determined by image‐processing analysis and pyrolysis–mass spectrometry

Leaf structure and defence control litter decomposition rate across species and life forms in regional floras on two continents

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