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Form-function analysis of the effect of canopy morphology on leaf self-shading in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum

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Abstract

The variation in seagrass morphology and the magnitude of leaf self-shading within the canopy of Thalassia testudinum, were compared among nine sites in a fringing reef lagoon. We found a significant variation in the growth-form of T. testudinum reflected in a 5.4-fold variation in the attenuation coefficient (K d) within the canopy. The largest morphological variation was observed in shoot density. Leaf biomass, leaf area index (LAI), and shoot density were positively associated with canopy-K d and with the percentage of surface irradiance received by the top of the seagrass canopy (% Es). These results provide an explanation for the consistent pattern of depth reduction in seagrass leaf biomass and shoot density reported in the literature. Shoot density and shoot size are two descriptors of the growth-form of T. testudinum related to its clonal life-form. Shoot size was not significantly correlated with canopy-K d, nevertheless, it showed a significant effect on the slope of the relationship between shoot density and canopy-K d. According to this model, shoot size also contributes to light attenuation within the seagrass canopy by increasing the effect of shoot density. This form-function analysis suggests that light may have a relevant role in the regulation of the optimal plant balance between horizontal (variation in shoot density) and vertical (variation in shoot size) growth of seagrasses. Other environmental factors and interactions also need to be examined to fully understand the mechanistic bases of the morphological responses of seagrasses to the environment.

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Acknowledgements

The study has been partially funded by a grant from PAPIIT (DGAPA – IN218599) to SE. We thank Gabriela Zavala Reyes (in memoriam) for her kind field and laboratory assistance. We also thank Napo Cayabyab and Irene Olivé for their invaluable help in accomplishing this study. The experiments performed in this work comply with the current laws of Mexico.

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  1. Laboratorio de Fotobiología, Unidad Académica Puerto Morelos, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, (ICML-UNAM), Apdo. Postal 1152, 77500, Cancun, Mexico

    Susana Enríquez & Norma I. Pantoja-Reyes

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  1. Susana Enríquez
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  2. Norma I. Pantoja-Reyes
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Correspondence to Susana Enríquez.

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Communicated by Robert Pearcy

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Enríquez, S., Pantoja-Reyes, N.I. Form-function analysis of the effect of canopy morphology on leaf self-shading in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum . Oecologia 145, 234–242 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-005-0111-7

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