Does seed mass drive the differences in relative growth rate between growth forms?
Proc Biol Sci
; 280(1762): 20130921, 2013 Jul 07.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-23677351
ABSTRACT
The idea that herbaceous plants have higher relative growth rates (RGRs) compared with woody plants is fundamental to many of the most influential theories in plant ecology. This difference in growth rate is thought to reflect systematic variation in physiology, allocation and leaf construction. Previous studies documenting this effect have, however, ignored differences in seed mass. As woody species often have larger seeds and RGR is negatively correlated with seed mass, it is entirely possible the lower RGRs observed in woody species is a consequence of having larger seeds rather than different growth strategies. Using a synthesis of the published literature, we explored the relationship between RGR and growth form, accounting for the effects of seed mass and study-specific effects (e.g. duration of study and pot volume), using a mixed-effects model. The model showed that herbaceous species do indeed have higher RGRs than woody species, and that the difference was independent of seed mass, thus at all seed masses, herbaceous species on average grow faster than woody ones.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Bases de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Plantas
/
Desarrollo de la Planta
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Proc Biol Sci
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA
Año:
2013
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Reino Unido