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Size-related flowering and fecundity in the tropical canopy tree species, Shorea acuminata (Dipterocarpaceae) during two consecutive general flowerings

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Abstract

We monitored the reproductive status of all trees with diameters at breast height (dbh) >30 cm in a 40-ha plot at Pasoh, west Malaysia, and investigated the individual fecundity of 15 Shorea acuminata Dyer (Dipterocarpaceae) trees using seed-trapping methods during two consecutive general flowering periods in 2001 (GF2001) and 2002 (GF2002). The proportion of flowering trees was higher, and not dependent on size, in GF2002 (84.2%), than in GF2001 (54.5%), when flowering mainly occurred in trees with a dbh ≤70 cm. Fecundity parameters of individual trees per event varied widely (221,000–35,200,000 flowers, 0–139,000 mature seeds, and 1.04–177 kg total dry matter mass of fruit (TDM) per tree). Monotonic increases with increasing tree size were observed for flower production and TDM amongst trees up to 90 cm in dbh, but not for mature seed production or for any of these parameters amongst larger trees. The pattern of reproductive investment during the two consecutive reproductive events clearly differed between medium-sized and large trees; the former concentrated their reproductive investment in one of the reproductive events whereas the latter allocated their investment more evenly to both reproductive events. Our results suggest size-related differences in the resource allocation pattern for reproduction.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr K. Niiyama for permission to use his 6-ha plot (plot 1), Dr A. Itoh for providing his unpublished manuscript, and Dr M. Yasuda for many advisory comments about this study. We also thank Mr A. Hussein and Mr A. Nyak for their assistance during this study, and all local staff of this project who helped us greatly in the field. This study was a part of a joint research project of FRIM, Universiti Putera Malaysia, and the National Institute for Environmental Studies of Japan (Global Environment Research Program supported by the Ministry of Environment in Japan, Grant No. E-4).

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Author notes

  1. Shinya Numata

    Present address: Center for Research and Development Strategy, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kojimachi Square Bldg, Nibancho-3, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0084, Japan

  2. Sen Nishimura

    Present address: Center for Integrated Area Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Honmachi, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan

  3. Toshinori Okuda

    Present address: Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-7-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8521, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Tropical Forest Resources and Environments, Division of Forest and Biomaterials Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Yoko Naito, Mamoru Kanzaki & Seiichi Ohta

  2. National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0053, Japan

    Shinya Numata & Toshinori Okuda

  3. Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Naruko-onsen, Osaki, Miyagi, 989-6711, Japan

    Kyoko Obayashi

  4. National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, 3-1-3 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8604, Japan

    Akihiro Konuma

  5. Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong, 52109, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Sen Nishimura, Soon Leong Lee & Norwati Muhammad

  6. Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan

    Yoshihiko Tsumura

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  1. Yoko Naito
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Correspondence to Yoko Naito.

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Table 2

Table 2 Tree size and fecundity of 15 Shorea acuminata trees during the general flowering periods in 2001 and 2002
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Naito, Y., Kanzaki, M., Numata, S. et al. Size-related flowering and fecundity in the tropical canopy tree species, Shorea acuminata (Dipterocarpaceae) during two consecutive general flowerings. J Plant Res 121, 33–42 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-007-0116-x

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