Abstract
• Introduction and statement of the research questions
The relationships between primary and secondary growth in tree populations of contrasting climates are poorly understood. We tested the hypotheses that bud size and stem cross-sectional area are related through allometric relationship in shoots and that their scaling slopes change in response to climatic stress.
• Methods
We sampled three Quercus faginea populations subjected to contrasting climates and elevations. The main components of the current-year shoots (length, cross-sectional area, apical bud mass, and number of buds) were measured in ten trees per site, and the relationships among them were analyzed using structural equation models.
• Results
Cross-sectional area and apical bud mass were allometrically related and they were higher in the mid-elevation site than elsewhere. In the mid-elevation site, the relationship between cross-sectional area and apical bud mass was the strongest and its scaling slope was the highest. Hence, for a given increase in shoot cross-sectional area, trees from the mid-elevation site produced bigger buds than trees from the other sites.
• Conclusions
Trees from the mid-elevation site showed a greater potential for primary growth since mild temperatures and low-drought stress improve secondary shoot growth leading to an increased bud size. Therefore, secondary growth affects to a great extent bud size through allometric scaling which is modulated by climatic stress.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aspelmeier S, Leuschner Ch (2006) Genotypic variation in drought response of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth): leaf and root morphology and carbon partitioning. Trees 20:42–52
Barnola P, Crabbé J (1993) L’activite cambiale, composante active ou passive dans les reactions de croissance de l’arbre ? Acta Botanica Gallica 140:403–412
Barthélémy D, Caraglio Y (2007) Plant architecture: a dynamic, multilevel and comprehensive approach to plant form, structure and ontogeny. Ann Bot 99:375–407
Bentler PM (1995) EQS Structural Equations Program Manual. Multivariate Software, Encino
Bollen KA (1989) Structural equations with latent variables. Wiley, New York
Brouat C, McKey D (2001) Leaf–stem allometry, hollow stems, and the evolution of caulinary domatia in myrmecophytes. New Phytol 151:391–406
Brouat C, Gibernau M, Amsellem L, McKey D (1998) Corner’s rules revisited: ontogenetic and interspecific patterns in leaf–stem allometry. New Phytol 139:459–470
Castro-Díez P, Villar-Salvador P, Pérez-Rontomé C, Maestro-Martínez M, Montserrat-Martí G (1997) Leaf morphology and leaf chemical composition in three Quercus (Fagaceae) species along a rainfall gradient in NE Spain. Trees 11:127–134
Cochard H, Coste S, Chanson B, Guehl JM, Nicolini E (2005) Hydraulic architecture correlates with bud organogenesis and primary shoot growth in beech (Fagus sylvatica). Tree Physiol 25:1545–1552
Esteso-Martínez J, Valladares F, Camarero JJ, Gil-Pelegrín E (2006) Crown architecture and leaf habit are associated with intrinsically different light-harvesting efficiencies in Quercus seedlings from contrasting environments. Ann For Sci 63:511–518
Falster DS, Warton DI, Wright IJ (2006) SMATR: standardised major axis tests and routines, version 2.0. Available from: http://www.bio.mq.edu.au/ecology/SMATR/.
Harmer R (1991) The effect of bud position on branch growth and bud abscission in Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. Ann Bot 67:463–468
Harvey PJ, Pagel MD (1991) The comparative method in evolutionary biology. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Himrane H, Camarero JJ, Gil-Pelegrín E (2004) Morphological and ecophysiological variation of the hybrid oak Quercus subpyrenaica (Q. faginea × Q. pubescens). Trees 18:566–575
Jöreskog KG (1993) Testing structural equation models. In: Bollen K, Long JS (eds) Testing structural equation models. Sage, Newbury Park, pp 294–316
Lauri PE, Bourdel G, Trottier C, Cochard H (2008) Apple shoot architecture: evidence for strong variability of bud size and composition and hydraulics within a branching zone. New Phytol 178:798–807
Lauri PE, Kelner JJ, Trottier C, Costes E (2010) Insights into secondary growth in perennial plants: its unequal spatial and temporal dynamics in the apple (Malus domestica) is driven by architectural position and fruit load. Ann Bot 105:607–616
Littell RC, Milliken GA, Stroup WW, Wolfinger RD, Schabenberger O (2006) SAS system for mixed models. SAS, Cary
Montserrat-Martí G, Camarero JJ, Palacio S, Pérez-Rontomé C, Milla R, Albuixech J, Maestro M (2009) Summer–drought constrains the phenology and growth of two co-existing Mediterranean oaks with contrasting leaf habit: implications for their persistence and reproduction. Trees 23:787–799
Niklas KJ (1994) Plant allometry: the scaling of form and process. University of Chicago Press, Chicago
Normand F, Bissery C, Damour G, Lauri PÉ (2008) Hydraulic and mechanical stem properties affect leaf–stem allometry in mango cultivars. New Phytol 178:590–602
Preston KA, Ackerly DD (2003) The evolution of allometry in modular organisms. In: Pigliucci M, Preston KA (eds) Phenotypic integration: studying the ecology and evolution of complex phenotypes. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 80–103
Rasband WS, 1997–2009. ImageJ. N.I.H., Bethesda, USA. Available from: http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/. Accessed 14 January 2008
Shipley B (2004) Analysing the allometry of multiple interacting traits. Persp Plant Ecol Evol Syst 6:235–241
Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ (1995) Biometry: the principles and practice of statistics in biological research. Freeman, New York
Sperry JS, Hacke UG, Pittermann J (2006) Size and function in conifer tracheids and angiosperm vessels. Am J Bot 93:1490–1500
Sun S, Jin D, Shi P (2006) The leaf size–twig size spectrum of temperate woody species along an altitudinal gradient: an invariant allometric scaling relationship. Ann Bot 97:97–107
Suzuki M, Hiura T (2000) Allometric differences between current-year shoots and large branches of deciduous broad-leaved tree species. Tree Physiol 20:203–209
Vesk PA, Westoby M (2004) Funding the bud bank: a review of the costs of buds. Oikos 106:200–208
Warton DI, Weber NC (2002) Common slope tests for bivariate structural relationships. Biom J 44:161–174
Warton DI, Wright IJ, Falster DS, Westoby M (2006) Bivariate line-fitting methods for allometry. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 81:259–291
Westoby M, Wright IJ (2003) The leaf size–twig size spectrum and its relationship to other important spectra of variation among species. Oecologia 135:621–628
Wilson BF, Kelty MJ (1994) Shoot growth from the bud bank in black oak. Can J For Res 24:149–154
Acknowledgments
AQ Alla acknowledges the support of CIHEAM-IAMZ and MAEC-AECID. This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (grant numbers CGL2007-66066-C04-02/BOS, CGL2008-04847-C02-01, RTA2005-00100-CO2-00, SUM2006-00025-00-00 to JCC and GM-M). We thank the constructive comments provided by two anonymous reviewers and the editor. We thank the support of the Globimed network (www.globimed.net). We thank J. Albuixech for his help in the field. JJC acknowledges the support of ARAID.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Handling Editor: Gilbert Aussenac
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
ESM 1
(DOC 2,177 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Alla, A.Q., Camarero, J.J., Rivera, P. et al. Variant allometric scaling relationships between bud size and secondary shoot growth in Quercus faginea: implications for the climatic modulation of canopy growth. Annals of Forest Science 68, 1245–1254 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-011-0093-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-011-0093-z