Abstract
This study investigates the scaling relationship between leaf area and dry mass across three life forms and two seasons. We sampled 14 canopy and sub-canopy woody species and 12 understory woody species (hereafter referred to as trees, small trees, and shrubs) in Lushan National Nature Reserve, Jiangxi Province, China. The relationship between leaf area and dry mass was analyzed using standardized major axis (SMA) regression. Our results showed that the trees and small trees showed “diminishing returns” (α < 1.0) in May, but shifted to isometric scaling (α ≈ 1.0) in September. In contrast, shrubs maintained an isometric scaling relationship (α = 1.01). Across two seasons, all life forms have a common scaling slope of 0.95 and are significantly different from 1.0, and the normalization constant is significantly higher in May. This study confirms that seasonal changes in leaf growth contribute to variations in the scaling constants of leaf area and dry mass, with different investment strategies in growth stages across different life forms.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
Trees and small trees showed diminishing returns scaling (α < 1.0) between leaf area and dry mass in May.
Verbatim
e0“trees and small trees showed “diminishing returns” (α < 1.0) in May”
Claim · model-written summary
Trees and small trees shifted to isometric scaling (α ≈ 1.0) between leaf area and dry mass in September.
Verbatim
e0“trees and small trees showed “diminishing returns” (α < 1.0) in May, but shifted to isometric scaling (α ≈ 1.0) in September”
Claim · model-written summary
Shrubs maintained an isometric leaf area to dry mass scaling relationship (α = 1.01) across the seasons.
Verbatim
e0“shrubs maintained an isometric scaling relationship (α = 1.01)”
Claim · model-written summary
Across the two seasons all life forms shared a common scaling slope of 0.95, significantly different from 1.0.
Verbatim
e0“all life forms have a common scaling slope of 0.95 and are significantly different from 1.0”
Claim · model-written summary
The normalization constant of the leaf area to dry mass scaling was significantly higher in May in woody plant life forms.
Verbatim
e0“the normalization constant is significantly higher in May”
t0“woody plant life forms”