Abstract
The present study aims (i) to examine if recently reported interspecific shoot-level biomass allocational trade-offs, i.e. isometric trade-offs between leaf mass (LM) and stem mass (SM) and between leaf size and leaf number, hold intraspecifically and (ii) to explore whether those scaling relationships are independent of shoot type (i.e. long vs. short shoots). In order to address our questions, we used Fagus sylvatica saplings growing under a broad light range that were sampled in the Western Carpathians Mountains (Slovakia). We found that: (i) intraspecific shoot-level biomass allocational trade-offs differ from those reported interspecifically and that (ii) long and short shoots differ in biomass allocation scaling coefficients. Allometric relationships with slopes statistically smaller than 1.0 or higher than −1.0, were found between SM and LM and between mean leafing intensity and individual leaf mass, respectively, in long shoots. In contrast, isometric scaling was found in short shoots. This suggests that leaf mass in short shoots is unaffected by shoot stem mass, in contrast to long shoots. Short shoots also had a larger fraction of biomass allocated to leaves. Beech shoots, as has been observed in other shoot dimorphic species, are specialized, with short shoots specializing in carbon gain and long shoots in space acquisition. A greater shift in LM than in SM among species during speciation shifting from allometric intraspecific relationships to an isometric interspecific scaling relationship between those traits could explain the discrepancies between the outputs of the present intraspecific study and others similar studies. This study draws attention to the importance of considering shoot types in future studies dealing with allocation rules in species with dimorphic shoots.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Intraspecific shoot-level biomass allocational trade-offs in Fagus sylvatica differ from those reported interspecifically.
- Taxon
- Fagus sylvatica
Fagus sylvaticat0 - Outcome
- shoot-level biomass allocational trade-offse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Fagus sylvatica”
e0“intraspecific shoot-level biomass allocational trade-offs differ from those reported interspecifically”
Claim · model-written summary
Long and short shoots of Fagus sylvatica differ in biomass allocation scaling coefficients.
- Taxon
- Fagus sylvaticaFagus sylvaticat0
- Organ / stage
- long and short shootse0
- Outcome
- biomass allocation scaling coefficientse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Fagus sylvatica”
e0“long and short shoots differ in biomass allocation scaling coefficients”
Claim · model-written summary
In long shoots allometric relationships with slopes smaller than 1.0 or higher than -1.0 were found between stem mass and leaf mass and between mean leafing intensity and individual leaf mass.
- Taxon
- Fagus sylvaticaFagus sylvaticat0
- Organ / stage
- long shootse0
- Outcome
- Allometric relationshipse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Fagus sylvatica”
e0“Allometric relationships with slopes statistically smaller than 1.0 or higher than −1.0, were found between SM and LM and between mean leafing intensity and individual leaf mass, respectively, in long shoots”
Claim · model-written summary
Isometric scaling was found in short shoots.
- Taxon
- Fagus sylvaticaFagus sylvaticat0
- Organ / stage
- short shootse0
- Outcome
- isometric scalinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Fagus sylvatica”
e0“isometric scaling was found in short shoots”
Claim · model-written summary
Short shoots had a larger fraction of biomass allocated to leaves.
- Taxon
- Fagus sylvaticaFagus sylvaticat0
- Organ / stage
- Short shootse0
- Outcome
- fraction of biomass allocated to leavese0
- Direction
- largere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Fagus sylvatica”
e0“Short shoots also had a larger fraction of biomass allocated to leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
Beech shoots are specialized, short shoots for carbon gain and long shoots for space acquisition.
Verbatim
t0“Fagus sylvatica”
e0“Beech shoots, as has been observed in other shoot dimorphic species, are specialized, with short shoots specializing in carbon gain and long shoots in space acquisition”
Claim · model-written summary
A greater shift in leaf mass than stem mass among species during speciation could explain the discrepancies between this intraspecific study and interspecific studies.
- Taxon
- Fagus sylvaticaFagus sylvaticat0
- Outcome
- discrepancies between the outputs of the present intraspecific study and others similar studiese1
- Qualifier
- A greater shift in LM than in SM among species during speciatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Fagus sylvatica”
e0“A greater shift in LM than in SM among species during speciation”
e1“could explain the discrepancies between the outputs of the present intraspecific study and others similar studies”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors stress the importance of considering shoot types in future allocation studies of species with dimorphic shoots.
Verbatim
t0“Fagus sylvatica”
e0“importance of considering shoot types in future studies dealing with allocation rules in species with dimorphic shoots”