Influence of light and plant size on the reproduction and growth of small palm tree species: Comparing two methods for measuring canopy openness

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: The reproduction and growth of large palms are influenced by many factors, including light and plant size, but few studies have examined smaller species (up to 2 m tall). We examined the effect of incident light and individual size on growth rates, the probability of reproducti...

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Veröffentlicht in:American journal of botany Jg. 103; H. 9; S. 1678 - 1686
Hauptverfasser: Amadeu, Luã S. N., Sampaio, Mauricio B., dos Santos, Flavio A. M.
Format: Journal Article
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: United States Botanical Society of America, Inc 01.09.2016
Botanical Society of America
Schlagworte:
Acrocomia
Arecaceae
Arecaceae - growth & development
Arecaceae - physiology
Arecaceae - radiation effects
Botany
Botany - methods
Canopies
Comparative analysis
Environment
growth
hemispherical photography
individual size effects
Inflorescence - growth & development
Inflorescence - physiology
Inflorescence - radiation effects
Leaves
light
Microhabitats
Plant growth
Plant reproduction
Plant species
Plant Stems - growth & development
Plant Stems - physiology
Plant Stems - radiation effects
Reproduction
reproductive effort
Sunlight
Trees
Understory
Woodlands
Arecaceae
hemispherical photography
individual size effects
growth
light
reproductive effort
ISSN:0002-9122, 1537-2197, 1537-2197
Online-Zugang:Volltext
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Zusammenfassung:PREMISE OF THE STUDY: The reproduction and growth of large palms are influenced by many factors, including light and plant size, but few studies have examined smaller species (up to 2 m tall). We examined the effect of incident light and individual size on growth rates, the probability of reproduction, and the number of inflorescences of three small palm species and compared two methods for estimating canopy openness. METHODS: We measured canopy openness above the crowns of 132 adult plants and in the centers of 72 subplots (10 × 10 m) where individuals were sampled. We also recorded individual size and the number of leaves and inflorescences produced in two years. KEY RESULTS: Reproductive individuals of Butia paraguayensis tend to occur in illuminated microhabitats. Reproduction of Acrocomio emensis was correlated with stem diameter, but not with light. Reproduction was inversely related to individual size and light in Syagrus petraea, probably because this clonal palm invests heavily in sexual reproduction during its younger stages and clonal activity in older stages and may be adapted to the low-light conditions of the woodland understory. Growth was not predicted by light or individual size. Stronger correlations were found when incident light was measured directly above the crown, as opposed to the subplot center. CONCLUSIONS: The influences of light on reproduction are dependent on plant life histories, even among related and sympatric species. Light measurements directly above individual crowns provide better understanding of the reproductive effort rather than in subplot center.
Bibliographie:SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0002-9122
1537-2197
1537-2197
DOI:10.3732/ajb.1600178