Leaf phenological traits in the mangrove Kandelia candel (L.) Druce

Abstract

Leaf phenological traits of a sub-tropical Rhizophoracean mangrove, Kandelia candel (L.) Druce, for the period May 1994 to July 1995, are discussed in relation to prevailing environmental factors. Leaf phenologies were characterized by summer leaf production maxima and winter leaf loss maxima. Results of canonical correlation analysis indicate that about 70% of the seasonal variation in leaf production was explained by variation in temperature, humidity and day-length, hence, supporting the hypothesis that leaf phenological traits had a strong environmental component. The strongest single-variable regression model for leaf formation was produced in a temperature model transformed into second order kinetics ( r=0.8, p<0.01). This suggests that temperature (or temperature related effects) was the strongest environmental gradient controlling leaf production in K. candel.