Life Sciences Commons^™

Variation In Leaf And Fine Stem Co2 Flux As A Function Of Plant Size: A Comparison Of Seedlings, Saplings And Trees, Kerrie M. Sendall, Peter B. Reich

Kerrie M Sendall

Rates of tissue-level function have been hypothesized to decline as trees grow older and larger, but relevant evidence to assess such changes remains limited, especially across a wide range of sizes from saplings to large trees. We measured functional traits of leaves and twigs of three cold-temperate deciduous tree species in Minnesota, USA, to assess how these vary with tree height. Individuals ranging from 0.13 to 20 m in height were sampled in both relatively open and closed canopy environments to minimize light differences as a potential driver of size-related differences in leaf and twig properties. We hypothesized that (H1) …