Abstract
Abstract Foliar concentrations of eight essential elements were measured in three sizes of Metrosideros polymorpha tree seedlings that had been subjected to five different light levels as part of a canopy thinning experiment in a Hawaiian montane rain forest. Most element concentrations were reduced by increased light intensity, but this was statistically significant only for Ca, Mg, and Zn. N and P concentrations markedly decreased with increasing plant size. No element exhibited consistent concentration increases in response to higher light or greater size. As in temperate herbaceous species, lower element concentrations associated with larger or more illuminated plants may represent a dilution effect related to the cumulative amount of C fixed in the lifetime of individual leaves. The rapid growth of newly unshaded seedlings may result in nutrient limitations in seedlings not rooted in mineral soil.
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