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Relative contributions of leaf area ratio and net assimilation rate to change in growth rate depend on growth temperature: comparative analysis of subantarctic and alpine grasses
Author(s) -
Medek Danielle E.,
Ball Marilyn C.,
Schortemeyer Marcus
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2007.02097.x
Subject(s) - relative growth rate , poa annua , interspecific competition , biology , growth rate , botany , specific leaf area , phenotypic plasticity , photosynthesis , ecology , poaceae , geometry , mathematics
Summary• The present study shows that the relative contributions of leaf area ratio (LAR) and net assimilation rate (NAR) to variation among species in relative growth rate (RGR) depend on growth temperature. • We grew three subantarctic and three alpine Poa species at daytime temperatures of 7, 12 and 17°C, and analysed interspecific and temperature‐related variation in RGRs by growth analysis. • Variation in NAR accounted for most of the interspecific differences in RGR at low growth temperature, whereas variation in both NAR and LAR contributed strongly to interspecific differences in RGR at high growth temperature. For most species, the increase in RGR from 7 to 12°C was attributable to an increase in LAR, whereas the increase in RGR from 12 to 17°C was attributable to an increase in NAR. There were no differences between native subantarctic and alpine species in the plasticity of growth responses to temperature. However, Poa annua , a species introduced to the subantarctic, showed much greater growth plasticity than other species. • There was little difference among species in tolerance of high‐temperature extremes.