Am. J. Bot. Plant Physiology
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(American Journal of Botany. 2004;91:582-589.)
© 2004 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Tropical Biology

Developmental and physiological correlates of leaf size in Hyeronima alchorneoides (Euphorbiaceae)1

Alexandra Reich2,5, N. Michele Holbrook3 and John J. Ewel4

2La Selva Biological Station, Organization for Tropical Studies, Interlink 341, P.O. Box 02-5635 Miami, Florida 33102-5635 USA; 3Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 3119 Biological Laboratories, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 USA; 4Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Suite 323, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 USA

The tropical emergent tree Hyeronima alchorneoides has large decreases in leaf size with tree age: 1200 cm2 at 1 yr, 900 cm2 at 3 yr, 200 cm2 at 11 yr, and 80 cm2 in old (>30 yr) individuals. We tracked leaf growth and physiological attributes on trees of three different ages (1, 3, and 11 yr) to determine the developmental basis and functional consequences of this variation. Leaves on young trees grew faster and sustained maximum rates of leaf expansion longer than leaves on older trees. Leaf mass per area (LMA) did not differ among age classes. Maximum photosynthetic rates reflected differences in leaf nitrogen concentration, in which leaves from the lower crown of younger trees outperformed those at a comparable crown position in older trees. One-year-old trees had the lowest stomatal conductance and the greatest instantaneous water use efficiency. Ontogenetic plasticity in mature leaf size, structure, and physiology may be a balance between the advantages conferred by rapid height growth when trees are young and the benefits derived from producing branches that increase light harvesting ability as trees reach the canopy.

Key Words: Hyeronima alchorneoides • leaf growth • leaf size • ontogenetic plasticity






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