Abstract
Growth responses and changes in leaf chemical composition of hybrid mahogany (big-leaf × small-leaf) seedlings grown under contrasting light regimes were measured over 417 days. The seedlings showed strong reductions in relative growth rates under low light, but maintained a positive carbon gain, indicated by continuous biomass accumulation under these conditions. Light intensity seemed to affect more markedly the growth of individuals with the largest intrinsic growth capacity. Growth under full light resulted in pronounced water stress, particularly in seedlings without a large root system. The seedlings showed high plasticity in leaf area but not in leaf dry weight, which explains the larger area:weight ratios of seedlings developing under low light. Nitrogen concentration was significantly higher in low-light seedlings, but because of the larger area: weight ratios of low-light leaves, the N concentration per unit area was higher under the intermediate- and high-light (~70mmolm−2) than in the low-light treatment (55mmolm−2).
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Medina, E., Wang, HH., Lugo, A.E., Popper, N. (2003). Growth-, Water-, and Nutrient-Related Plasticity in Hybrid Mahogany Leaf Development Under Contrasting Light Regimes. In: Lugo, A.E., Figueroa Colón, J.C., Alayón, M. (eds) Big-Leaf Mahogany. Ecological Studies, vol 159. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-21778-9_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-21778-9_8
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