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Dryad

Regeneration biomass (AGB & BGB), age, NSCs and light: F. sylvatica and Acer spp.

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Jun 03, 2022 version files 69.50 KB

Abstract

Being able to persist in deep shade is an important characteristic of juvenile trees often leading to a strong dominance of shade-tolerant species in forests with low canopy turnover and disturbance rate. While leaf, growth and storage traits are known to be key components of shade tolerance, their interplay during regeneration development and influence on juveniles’ survival time remains unclear. We assessed the ontogenetic effects of these three traits on survival time of beech  (Fagus sylvatica), Norway and sycamore maples (Acer pseudoplatanus, Acer platanoides) in a primeval beech forest. Biomass allocation, age and content of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) were measured in stems and roots of 289 seedlings and saplings in high and low vitality classes. Saplings experience a trade-off between absolute growth rate (AGR), and storage (NSC) at decreasing leaf area ratio (LAR) with biomass development. High LAR but slow AGR and low NSC confer beech with a marked ability to persist in deep shade awaiting canopy release. In turn, a comparably small LAR in combination with fast AGR and higher storage (NSC), as observed in Norway maple and sycamore maple, reduces their survival time, thus offering an explanation for beech dominance and maples disappearance in the undergrowth of old-growth beech forests.