How do Size and Resource Availability Control Aboveground Biomass Allocation of Tree Seedlings?

Christina Lodige

doi:10.4172/2168-9776.1000123

Abstract

In a three (light availability levels)×two (soil moisture levels) factorial greenhouse experiment we quantified to what extent light availability and soil moisture on the one hand and seedling size on the other hand control the relationship between branch and stem biomass of European beech and Norway spruce seedlings. Aboveground biomass partitioning of both tree species were influenced by size and to a lesser extent by the environmental conditions. The branch biomass allocation pattern to reduced light and soil moisture differed strongly between the two species. European beech allocation was only driven by size and of Norway spruce by size and the environmental conditions. Overall, beech seedlings seem to have much higher crown plasticity as spruce. Our results indicate that in contrast to above-belowground biomass allocation pattern which depend very much on the environmental conditions, aboveground biomass partitioning seem to be mainly controlled by plant size.

Highlights

European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) are prevalent and the economically most important tree species of Central Europe
In a three × two factorial greenhouse experiment we quantified to what extent light availability and soil moisture on the one hand and seedling size on the other hand control the relationship between branch and stem biomass of European beech and Norway spruce seedlings
We found that aboveground biomass partitioning of tree seedlings was influenced by size in three out of four cases (2 species and 2 years) and to a lesser extent by the environmental conditions

Summary

Introduction

European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) are prevalent and the economically most important tree species of Central Europe. Experiments using seedlings mainly dealt with the growth responses of one of the two species to different resource availabilities (light, soil moisture and/or nutrients) [6,7,8,9,10,11,12]. We know of just one study, which comparatively investigated the response of beech and spruce to different levels of light and soil moisture [13]. The existing studies on beech or spruce seedlings and saplings mainly focused on photosynthesis, diameter and height growth or above and belowground biomass partitioning [14,15], but not much comparative research was done on the pattern of space occupation by the two species under different resource availability levels in the seedling stage

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