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Scaling relationships among twig components are affected by sex in the dioecious tree Populus cathayana

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We examined sexual differences in scaling relationships among twig components in dioecious species Populus cathayana Rehd, and explored the functional adaptation of twigs in female plants.

Abstract

Since the evolution of reproductive requirements for disseminating pollen or producing seeds/fruits has led to sexual dimorphisms of twigs in dioecious species, different functional traits among twig components should exist between sexes. To explore sexual differences in scaling relationships among twig components in dioecious species, we took advantage of a field study of Populus cathayana Rehd, a dioecious tree native to China. Lamina mass and area, petiole mass and area, and stem mass were measured for the current-year terminal twigs in 62 (29 females and 33 males) mature P. cathayana trees along an altitudinal gradient (1,400–1,700 m) of the Xiaowutai Mountain, Hebei, north China. The scaling relationships within twig and leaf components were determined using the model type II regression method. Significantly positive correlations among lamina area and petiole mass or lamina mass were found in both male and female trees at the twig and leaf level, and scaling relationships between these traits differed between sexes. An allometric scaling relationship with a common slope <1.0 existed between total leaf area and stem mass, while isometric scaling relationships were between lamina area and petiole mass or lamina mass. Females had larger total leaf area per unit stem mass than males at the twig level, but a thinner and larger blade for a given petiole mass than males at the leaf level. Our results demonstrated that females tended to have more photosynthetic organ area per unit supporting tissue mass than males, which reflects functional adaptation of twigs in female plants to meet their specific reproductive needs.

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Author contribution statement

Yang, Y. performed the experiments and drafted the manuscript. He, X. revised the manuscript. Xu, X. designed the experiments and wrote the manuscript. Yang, D. conducted data analyses. All authors contributed to discussions of the results and implications at all stages.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31170389) and the Innovative Team Foundation of Sichuan Provincial Department of Education (14TD0015).

Conflict of interest

We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work. There is no professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service and/or company that could be construed as influencing the position presented in, or the review of our manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, Ministry of Education, Nanchong, 637009, Sichuan, China

    Yanxia Yang, Xinhua He & Xiao Xu

  2. College of Life Science, China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, Sichuan, China

    Yanxia Yang & Xiao Xu

  3. College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004, Zhejiang, China

    Dongmei Yang

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  1. Yanxia Yang
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Correspondence to Xiao Xu.

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Communicated by R. Guy.

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Yang, Y., He, X., Xu, X. et al. Scaling relationships among twig components are affected by sex in the dioecious tree Populus cathayana . Trees 29, 737–746 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-014-1151-6

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