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Population dynamics, productivity and biomass allocation of Zizania latifolia in an aquatic‐terrestrial ecotone
Author(s) -
Tsuchiya Takayoshi,
Shinozuka Atsushi,
Ikusima Isao
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
ecological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.628
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1440-1703
pISSN - 0912-3814
DOI - 10.1007/bf02348532
Subject(s) - shoot , biology , biomass (ecology) , dry weight , population , dominance (genetics) , botany , productivity , ecotone , growing season , population density , agronomy , horticulture , ecology , shrub , biochemistry , demography , macroeconomics , sociology , gene , economics
The population and production ecology of a Zizania latifolia stand at a sheltered shore of the Hitachi‐Tone River were investigated. Shoot emergence was observed twice a year; the fist was a synchronized shoot emergence in April and the second was from August to October. Aboveground biomass was mostly occupied by leaves and peaked at 1500 g dry weight m −2 in August. The belowground biomass also reached its peak, 750 g dry weight m −2 , in August. The secondary shoots were small in spite of their high density. Leaves were produced continuously throughout the season. The leaf life span was as short as 55.6 days for cohorts that emerged from May through to September. Total annual net production of Z. latifolia could be more than 3400 g dry weight m −2 . Shoot clusters of several centimeters were observed in April. The following self‐thinning caused a regular distribution of the remaining shoots in August. Most shoots produced in August to October were found near a shoot persisting since April. They showed more concentrated distribution than shoots in April. A large biomass allocation to leaves and the ability to produce many clump shoots during the late growing period may facilitate dominance of Z. latifolia in relatively sheltered sites.