Biomass of Dendrosenecio keniodendron leaves in the high mountains of Kenya almost corresponds to their annual productivity

Abstract

In the high mountains of the Mount Kenya (tropical Africa) the leaf life span of the dominant species of rosette trees Dendrosenecio keniodendron was estimated using observations on marked leaves. The intervals between the beginning of leaf expansion and its full death, between the beginning of expansion and the death of 50% of its area, and between 50% leaf length expansion and the 50 % leaf area death were 366±8, 326±18 and 284±17 days correspondingly (mean ± standard error, n=7). As the full leaf life span lasted approximately one year, leaf biomass of this species is considered to be an adequate assessment of its annual production.