Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “canopy”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 775 records · Page 43Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Using (1)H magnetic resonance imaging and complementary analytical techniques to characterize developmental changes in the Zantedeschia Spreng. tuber.

Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and complementary analytical techniques were used to examine tissue structure and developmental changes occurring during active growth in the root tuber of ZANTEDESCHIA: Spreng. cv. Chianti, a commercially significant cut flower. Plants were observed during the period of leaf senescence and tuberization at the end of the first growth cycle of micropropagated plantlets and, following cool storage to break endodormancy, during development occurring after the replanting of ecodormant tubers. MRI distinguished two distinct regions within the tuber, and the differences in the binding state of water in the two regions were reflected in differences in tissue morphology and function. An abundance of free water was observed in tissue comprised of large parenchyma cells, at the base of the tuber. This tissue appeared to be involved in maintaining the viability of the plant during the period of dormancy, a function indicated primarily by increased metabolic activity in this tissue during dormancy, and reduced metabolic activity during periods of active growth. In contrast, water was more tightly bound in tissue comprised of small parenchyma cells. This tissue appeared to operate as a region for dynamic carbohydrate storage. The initial increase in the free water content of this tissue during the growth phase was linked to the mobilization of starch during canopy development. The subsequent decrease in free water in the remainder of the growth period was linked to the reaccumulation of starch while the tuber functioned as a sink for photosynthate prior to canopy senescence.

Carbohydrate Metabolism↗
PubMed2002

Linking drought-resistance mechanisms to drought avoidance in upland rice using a QTL approach: progress and new opportunities to integrate stomatal and mesophyll responses.

The advent of saturated molecular maps promised rapid progress towards the improvement of crops for genetically complex traits like drought resistance via analysis of quantitative trait loci (QTL). Progress with the identification of QTLs for drought resistance-related traits in rice is summarized here with the emphasis on a mapping population of a cross between drought-resistant varieties Azucena and Bala. Data which have used root morphological traits and indicators of drought avoidance in field-grown plants are reviewed, highlighting problems and uncertainties with the QTL approach. The contribution of root-growth QTLs to drought avoidance appears small in the experiments so far conducted, and the limitations of screening methodologies and the involvement of shoot-related mechanisms of drought resistance are studied. When compared to Azucena, Bala has been observed to have highly sensitive stomata, does not roll its leaves readily, has a greater ability to adjust osmotically, slows growth more rapidly when droughted and has a lower water-use efficiency. It is also a semi-dwarf variety and hence has a different canopy structure. There is a need to clarify the contribution of the shoot to drought resistance from the level of the biochemistry of photosynthesis through stomatal behaviour and leaf anatomy to canopy architecture. Recent advances in studying the physical and biochemical processes related to water use and drought stress offer the opportunity to advance a more holistic understanding of drought resistance. These include the potential use of infrared thermal imaging to study energy balance, integrated and online stable isotope analysis to dissect processes involved in carbon dioxide fixation and water evaporation, and leaf fluorescence to monitor photosynthesis and photochemical quenching. Justification and a strategy for this integrated approach is described, which has relevance to the study of drought resistance in most crops.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1990

Mosquito abundance and bionomics in residential communities in Orange and Los Angeles Counties, California.

Mosquito abundance and bionomics were studied intensively during summer and spring at two residential communities of contrasting economic status. Culex quinquefasciatus was the most abundant adult and immature mosquito collected in both communities, followed by Culiseta incidens, Culex stigmatosoma, and Culex tarsalis. Cx. stigmatosoma and Cx. tarsalis were more abundant in CO2 traps hung in tree canopy than at ground level and fed most frequently on birds. Cx. quinquefasciatus was abundant in both ground level and tree canopy CO2 traps and fed on both mammals and birds. Cs. incidens was collected most frequently by ground level CO2 traps and fed primarily on dogs. Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cs. incidens readily exploited peridomestic breeding sources, and resting adults were aggregated at houses with positive breeding sources. Although Cx. stigmatosoma and Cx. tarsalis larvae were collected primarily at peripheral breeding sources, the dispersion of resting adults was still clumped at houses within both communities. Mosquitoes were most abundant in the more affluent community due to an increased number of breeding sites created by automatic watering devices and poorly managed peripheral drainage channels. Resident opinion of recent mosquito annoyance was not related to the presence of mosquito breeding sources or the abundance of either resting or host-seeking mosquitoes.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1991

Arthropod faunal composition on Kentucky equine premises.

Thirty-nine arthropod species representing the families Muscidae, Chloropidae, Tabanidae, Simuliidae, Culicidae, and Ixodidae were collected from Kentucky equine premises using dry ice-baited canopy traps, light traps, water samples, tick drags, and animal inspections during late April to mid-October 1987 and 1988. Thirty-three species were collected from canopy traps, consisting of 74.3% muscid, 16.7% chloropid, 5.0% simuliid, 3.8% tabanid, and 0.2% culicid species. Light traps attracted eight culicid and water samples yielded three culicid species. One ixodid species was collected with drags, and animal inspections yielded two muscid and two ixodid species. Comparison of species assemblages among farms and across years using multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) yielded three distinct principal components, and PCA scores for each farm per year were correlated with biotic and abiotic environmental factors and management practices. The proximity to cattle herds was the best predictor of similarity in species assemblages among farms, reflecting the high percentage of muscid species collected. Poor management practices were partially responsible for proportionally larger populations of culicids, ixodids, and muscids on some farms.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMed2005

Survivorship of Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae in western Kenya highland forest.

The western Kenya highland has been experiencing dramatic landuse changes in the past three decades. Landuse change has been hypothesized to be one of the mechanisms for malaria epidemics in African highlands because it can alter the physical and chemical characteristics of mosquito breeding habitats. One important landuse change in western Kenya highland is deforestation. The current study examined the effects of forestation or deforestation on the survivorship of Anopheles gambiae larvae and colonization of other aquatic insects in larval habitats in Kakamega forest (elevation 1,500-1,700 m above sea level), western Kenya. We found that the survivorship of An. gambiae larvae was reduced from 55 to 57% in habitats fully exposed to sunlight (open habitats) to 1-2% in habitats with full forest canopy coverage (forest habitats) and partial canopy coverage (forest edge habitats) in two out of three trials. The average daily water temperature of the open habitats was approximately 3-3.4 degrees C higher than the forest habitats. Insect species in the orders of Diptera, Coleoptera, and Odonata colonized the larval habitats, but the three habitat types differed greatly in the animal assemblage. Canonical correspondence analysis found that water temperature and amount of leaf litter were the significant variables associated with animal assemblages. Redundancy analysis revealed that openness and the presence of predatory animals were significantly related to An. gambiae survivorship. This result suggests that deforestation facilitates the survival of the immature stage of An. gambiae in the highland.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Indirect calorimetry protocol development for measuring resting metabolic rate as a component of total energy expenditure in free-living postmenopausal women.

An objective measure of energy intake is needed in epidemiologic studies to evaluate random and systematic error associated with dietary self-report tools. Total energy expenditure in weight-stable humans is accepted as a measure of energy intake, but doubly labeled water remains cost prohibitive for large studies. Our purpose was to develop a practical indirect calorimetry (IC) protocol for estimating resting metabolic rate (RMR) in free-living, postmenopausal women. We conducted duplicate IC measures 1 wk apart using a canopy system on 102 women ages 50-79 y from the Seattle area. We compared RMR for 0-5, 5-10, 5-15, 5-20, 5-25, 5-30, and 0- to 30-min IC segments and segments meeting stability criteria. The mean RMR for the first 5 min was significantly higher than other time segments (P = 0.001). Correlation coefficients between duplicate measures were high (r = 0.90). Use of defined stability criteria produced RMR measures that were 10-30 kcal (42-126 kJ) higher than the 5- to 10-min RMR measures and 40-60% of subjects did not achieve these stability criteria. For protocols including IC to assess RMR as a component of total energy expenditure in free-living, postmenopausal women, a single 10-min canopy study, excluding the first 5 min of data, produces reliable results with minimal subject burden.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Spatial distribution of leaf nitrogen and photosynthetic capacity within the foliage of individual trees: disentangling the effects of local light quality, leaf irradiance, and transpiration.

There is presently no consensus about the factor(s) driving photosynthetic acclimation and the intra-canopy distribution of leaf characteristics under natural conditions. The impact was tested of local (i) light quality (red/far red ratio), (ii) leaf irradiance (PPFD(i)), and (iii) transpiration rate (E) on total non-structural carbohydrates per leaf area (TNC(a)), TNC-free leaf mass-to-area ratio (LMA), total leaf nitrogen per leaf area (N(a)), photosynthetic capacity (maximum carboxylation rate and light-saturated electron transport rate), and leaf N partitioning between carboxylation and bioenergetics within the foliage of young walnut trees grown outdoors. Light environment (quantity and quality) was controlled by placing individual branches under neutral or green screens during spring growth, and air vapour pressure deficit (VPD) was prescribed and leaf transpiration and photosynthesis measured at branch level by a branch bag technique. Under similar levels of leaf irradiance, low air vapour pressure deficit decreased transpiration rate but did not influence leaf characteristics. Close linear relationships were detected between leaf irradiance and leaf N(a), LMA or photosynthetic capacity, and low R/FR ratio decreased leaf N(a), LMA and photosynthetic capacity. Irradiance and R/FR also influenced the partitioning of leaf nitrogen into carboxylation and electron light transport. Thus, local light level and quality are the major factors driving photosynthetic acclimation and intra-canopy distribution of leaf characteristics, whereas local transpiration rate is of less importance.

Acclimatization↗
PubMed2005

The role of ozone flux and antioxidants in the suppression of ozone injury by elevated CO2 in soybean.

The projected rise in atmospheric CO2 concentration is expected to increase growth and yield of many agricultural crops. The magnitude of this stimulus will partly depend on interactions with other components of the atmosphere such as tropospheric O3. Elevated CO2 concentrations often lessen the deleterious effects of O3, but the mechanisms responsible for this response have received little direct examination. Previous studies have indicated that protection against O3 injury by elevated CO2 can be attributed to reduced O3 uptake, while other studies suggest that CO2 effects on anti-oxidant metabolism might also be involved. The aim of this experiment was to test further the roles of O3 flux and antioxidant metabolism in the suppression of O3 injury by elevated CO2. In a two-year experiment, soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] was exposed from emergence to maturity to charcoal-filtered air or charcoal-filtered air plus a range of O3 concentrations in combination with ambient or approximately twice-ambient CO2 concentrations in open-top field chambers. Experimental manipulation of O3 concentrations and estimates of plant O3 uptake indicated that equivalent O3 fluxes that suppressed net photosynthesis, growth, and yield at ambient concentrations of CO2 were generally much less detrimental to plants treated concurrently with elevated CO2. These responses appeared unrelated to treatment effects on superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, and peroxidase activities and glutathione concentration. Total ascorbic acid concentration increased by 28-72% in lower canopy leaves in response to elevated CO2 and O3 but not in upper canopy leaves. Increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2 will likely ameliorate O3 damage to many crops due to reduced O3 uptake, increased carbon assimilation, and possibly as yet undetermined additional factors. The results of this study further suggest that elevated CO2 may increase the threshold O3 flux for biomass and yield loss in soybean.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed2005

Construction costs, chemical composition and payback time of high- and low-irradiance leaves.

The effect of irradiance on leaf construction costs, chemical composition, and on the payback time of leaves was investigated. To enable more generalized conclusions, three different systems were studied: top and the most-shaded leaves of 10 adult tree species in a European mixed forest, top leaves of sub-dominant trees of two evergreen species growing in small gaps or below the canopy in an Amazonian rainforest, and plants of six herbaceous and four woody species grown hydroponically at low or high irradiance in growth cabinets. Daily photon irradiance varied 3-6-fold between low- and high-light leaves. Specific leaf area (SLA) was 30-130% higher at low light. Construction costs, on the other hand, were 1-5% lower for low-irradiance leaves, mainly because low-irradiance leaves had lower concentrations of soluble phenolics. Photosynthetic capacity and respiration, expressed per unit leaf mass, were hardly different for the low- and high-light leaves. Estimates of payback times of the high-irradiance leaves ranged from 2-4 d in the growth cabinets, to 15-20 d for the adult tree species in the European forest. Low-irradiance leaves had payback times that were 2-3 times larger, ranging from 4 d in the growth cabinets to 20-80 d at the most shaded part of the canopy of the mixed forest. In all cases, estimated payback times were less than half the life span of the leaves, suggesting that even at time-integrated irradiances lower than 5% of the total seasonal value, investment in leaves is still fruitful from a carbon-economy point of view. A sensitivity analysis showed that increased SLA of low-irradiance leaves was the main factor constraining payback times. Acclimation in the other five factors determining payback time, namely construction costs, photosynthetic capacity per unit leaf mass, respiration per unit leaf mass, apparent quantum yield, and curvature of the photosynthetic light-response-curve, were unimportant when the observed variation in each factor was examined.

Biomass↗
PubMed2006

Hyperspectral remote sensing of plant pigments.

The dynamics of pigment concentrations are diagnostic of a range of plant physiological properties and processes. This paper appraises the developing technologies and analytical methods for quantifying pigments non-destructively and repeatedly across a range of spatial scales using hyperspectral remote sensing. Progress in deriving predictive relationships between various characteristics and transforms of hyperspectral reflectance data are evaluated and the roles of leaf and canopy radiative transfer models are reviewed. Requirements are identified for more extensive intercomparisons of different approaches and for further work on the strategies for interpreting canopy scale data. The paper examines the prospects for extending research to the wider range of pigments in addition to chlorophyll, testing emerging methods of hyperspectral analysis and exploring the fusion of hyperspectral and LIDAR remote sensing. In spite of these opportunities for further development and the refinement of techniques, current evidence of an expanding range of applications in the ecophysiological, environmental, agricultural, and forestry sciences highlights the growing value of hyperspectral remote sensing of plant pigments.

Biosensing Techniques↗
PubMed1986

An estimate of the photosynthetic production of individual trees in a Chamaecyparis obtusa plantation.

A Weibull function was used to model the vertical distribution of leaf area of individual trees in a 25-year-old Chamaecyparis obtusa (Siebold & Zucc.) Endl. plantation. The parameter representing the shape of the leaf distribution was independent of tree size. A scale parameter tended to decrease with tree size suggesting a critical minimum height for retention of foliage by trees. On the basis of leaf distribution, the photosynthetic production of individual trees was estimated from the canopy photosynthetic production, which was determined from a model of canopy photosynthesis. The data indicated that the photosynthesis of a tree was proportional to the corresponding tree weight to the power of 1.84. Furthermore, the photosynthetic production varied as the 3/2nd power of total leaf area of the tree. Thus, it was concluded that the photosynthetic production per unit of leaf area, that is, the mean photosynthetic activity of a tree, is proportional to the stem girth at clear length, or the square root of the leaf area of the tree.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

Variations in leaf morphometry and nitrogen concentration in Betula pendula Roth., Corylus avellana L. and Lonicera xylosteum L.

Relations between leaf dry weight to leaf area (LWA), leaf nitrogen concentration and irradiance inside a natural canopy were studied in Betula pendula Roth., Corylus avellana L. and Lonicera xylosteum L. In all species, LWA increased with increasing irradiance. Relative variability in LWA was smaller in Betula pendula than in the other two species. In Corylus avellana, LWA also depended on total plant height. Foliar nitrogen concentration (on a dry weight basis) increased with increasing irradiance and LWA in Betula pendula, but decreased in the other two species. The interspecific variation in response to light availability and in nitrogen partitioning may be caused by different light demands or different life forms (trees versus shrubs), or both, of the species examined, and must be considered in contemporary canopy models.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

Growth and photosynthesis of tropical forest tree seedlings (Bischofia javanica Blume) as influenced by a change in light availability.

Acclimation in seedlings of Bischofia javanica Blume, which are commonly found in canopy gaps in the moist forests of tropical Asia, to a change in light availability was examined in a controlled environment simulating forest shade and daylight. Seedlings were grown in a high (1000 micro mol m(-2) s(-1); red/far-red, 1.45) or low (40 micro mol m(-2) s(-1); red/far-red, 0.10) light regime and then transferred to the contrasting light environment for nine weeks. Control seedlings were maintained in the same light regime throughout the study. The availability of light influenced relative growth rate through morphological and physiological adjustments. Transferred seedlings retained the leaves that had been developed before transfer, and no leaf-shedding was observed till the end of the experiment. Leaves formed in the new light regime were physiologically and morphologically identical to those of the corresponding controls. High-light seedlings transferred to low light displayed significantly lower relative growth rate than the low-light controls because of a lower leaf area ratio carried over from the previous high-light environment. A reverse pattern of response with respect to relative growth rate was observed for the low-light seedlings transferred to high light compared to the high-light controls. The higher relative growth rate in the low-light seedlings transferred to high light was the result of higher net assimilation rate and higher leaf area ratio. The higher leaf area ratio in the low-light seedlings transferred to high light was the consequence of the effects of previous environment, and the relatively lower net assimilation rate in the high-light control seedlings was, at least partly, due to the effects of self-shading rather than to the photosynthetic capacity of the leaves. The results suggest that the species has a wide acclimation potential to a change in light availability that might occur in nature following gap creation or canopy closure.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

The effect of defruiting at different stages of fruit development on leaf photosynthesis of "Golden Delicious" apple.

Net photosynthetic rates (A) of leaves on 11-year-old, field-grown apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh. cv. Golden Delicious) were measured after removal of fruits at four different stages of development. Defruiting decreased A by 21, 42, 27 and 7% when fruits were growing at 311, 293, 229 and 113 mg(DW) day(-1), respectively. Photosynthesis was inhibited more in the afternoon than in the morning, but it was not affected during the first 8 h after fruit removal. Inhibition of A was positively correlated with crop sink strength, but it was not correlated with fruit relative growth rate or crop load. Defruiting decreased A at saturating irradiances (PPFD > 1000 micro mol m(-2) s(-1)), but did not modify the apparent quantum yield of single leaves. These results suggest that the overall effect of defruiting on carbon fixation is negligible in dense canopies, but it may be significant in sparse canopies and in single shoots.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

Relationships between stem diameter, sapwood area, leaf area and transpiration in a young mountain ash forest.

We examined relationships between stem diameter, sapwood area, leaf area and transpiration in a 15-year-old mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell.) forest containing silver wattle (Acacia dealbata Link.) as a suppressed overstory species and mountain hickory (Acacia frigescens J.H. Willis) as an understory species. Stem diameter explained 93% of the variation in leaf area, 96% of the variation in sapwood area and 88% of the variation in mean daily spring transpiration in 19 mountain ash trees. In seven silver wattle trees, stem diameter explained 87% of the variation in sapwood area but was a poor predictor of the other variables. When transpiration measurements from individual trees were scaled up to a plot basis, using stem diameter values for 164 mountain ash trees and 124 silver wattle trees, mean daily spring transpiration rates of the two species were 2.3 and 0.6 mm day(-1), respectively. The leaf area index of the plot was estimated directly by destructive sampling, and indirectly with an LAI-2000 plant canopy analyzer and by hemispherical canopy photography. All three methods gave similar results.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Determining water use by trees and forests from isotopic, energy balance and transpiration analyses: the roles of tree size and hydraulic lift.

Use of soil water and groundwater by open-grown Acer saccharum Marsh. (sugar maple) tree canopies and forests was estimated by measuring transpiration (E) rates using porometry, sap flow methods, and the Bowen ratio method. The Bowen ratio and sap flow methods showed the best agreement; porometer measurements scaled to whole canopies always underestimated E by 15-50%. Trees of different sizes showed very different rates of E. I hypothesized that these differences were due to the differential access of large and small trees to groundwater and soil water, respectively. Transpirational flux was partitioned between soil water and groundwater by tracing the water sources based on their hydrogen stable isotopic composition (deltaD). Soil water deltaD varied between -41 and -16 per thousand seasonally (May to September), whereas groundwater deltaD was -79 +/- 5 per thousand during the entire growing season. Daily transpiration rates of large (9-14 m tall) trees were significantly higher than those of small (3-5 m tall) trees (2.46-6.99 +/- 1.02-2.50 versus 0.69-1.80 +/- 0.39-0.67 mm day(-1)). Small trees also showed greater variation in E during the growing season than large trees. In addition, compared to the large trees, small trees demonstrated greater sensitivity to environmental factors that influence E, such as soil water deficits and increased evaporative demand. Over the entire growing season, large trees and forest stands composed of trees > 10 m tall transpired only groundwater. The high rates of water loss from large trees and older forests were likely a result of the influence of an enhanced "pool" of transpirational water in the upper soil layers caused by hydraulic lift (see Dawson 1993b). The hydraulically lifted water reservoir enabled large trees to use more potential transpirational water during daylight hours than small trees, leading to a greater total water flux. In contrast, small trees and forest stands composed of younger trees almost exclusively used soil water, except during two dry periods when their transpirational water was composed of between 7 and 17% groundwater. Thus groundwater discharge from sugar maple trees and forest stands of different sizes (ages) differs significantly, and large trees and older forest stands have a greater impact on the hydrologic balance of groundwater than small trees and younger forest stands. However, mixed stands (small and large trees) may have a greater overall impact on the regional hydrologic balance than old stands, because trees in mixed stands draw on both soil water and groundwater reservoirs and thus can substantially increase total water discharge on scales from tens to hundreds of hectares.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Energy and CO(2) flux densities above and below a temperate broad-leaved forest and a boreal pine forest.

Fluxes of carbon dioxide, water vapor and energy were measured above and below a temperate broad-leaved forest and a boreal jack pine (Pinus banksiania Lamb.) forest by the eddy covariance method. The aim of the work was to examine differences between the biological and physical processes that control the fluxes of mass and energy over these disparate forest stand types. Carbon and latent heat flux (LE) densities over the temperate broad-leaved forest were about three times larger than those observed over the boreal forest. Available energy was the key variable modulating LE over the temperate broad-leaved forest, whereas LE over the boreal jack pine stand was sensitive to variations in water vapor pressure deficits (VPDs) and available energy. It was also noted that VPDs had different impacts on transpiration rates of the two forest stands. Increasing VPDs forced a negative feedback on jack pine transpiration, whereas transpiration rates of the well-watered broad-leaved forest responded favorably to increasing VPDs. Carbon dioxide flux densities over the broad-leaved forest stand were more sensitive to changes in absorbed photosynthetic photon flux density than those over the boreal forest. The efficiency of CO(2) uptake over the jack pine stand was reduced, in part, because the low leaf area of the stand caused a sizable fraction of available quanta to be absorbed by nonphotosynthetic organs, such as limbs and trunks. Over both forest stands, variations in photosynthetic photon flux density of photosynthetically active radiation (Q(P)) explained only 50 to 60% of the variance of CO(2) exchange rates. Consequently, caution should be exercised when scaling carbon fluxes to regional scales based on unmodified, satellite-derived indices. The more open nature of the boreal jack pine forest caused water vapor, CO(2) and heat fluxes at the forest floor to be a significant component of whole canopy mass and energy exchange rates. About 20 to 30% of net canopy mass and energy exchange occurred at the forest floor. Much smaller rates of mass and energy exchange occurred under the temperate broad-leaved forest.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of light on shoot geometry and needle morphology in Abies amabilis.

In some conifers, shoot geometry and needle morphology vary significantly in response to the light conditions under which they develop. We measured shoot length, silhouette area, total projected needle area, total needle weight and needle thickness on current shoots developed under a wide range of light conditions in a 36-year-old Abies amabilis (Dougl.) Forbes stand. Current light was quantified by evaluating percent openness from hemispherical photographs taken before the growing season. Unweighted total openness was correlated with shoot geometry and needle morphology better than any weighted indices tested. Needle thickness and leaf mass/area were both closely correlated with total openness (R(2) = 0.86 and 0.82, respectively). The most exposed needles were 2.5 times thicker and had 3-4 times more leaf mass/area than the most shaded needles. Total projected leaf area/shoot silhouette area was also correlated with openness (R(2) = 0.74) and was about twice as high in sun shoots as in shaded shoots. As a result of greater leaf mass/leaf area and greater leaf area/shoot silhouette area, a unit of intercepted light was dispersed over about 6 times as much leaf mass in a sun shoot as in a shade shoot, which presumably permits more efficient utilization of the intercepted light under high illumination with less energy wastage to light saturation. Moreover, leaf mass per unit of silhouette area was almost exactly proportional to canopy openness, as predicted by resource optimization theory if nitrogen concentration and photosynthetic capacity per unit mass are constant in new leaves. The close correlation of needle thickness and leaf mass/area with openness suggests that either parameter could be used as an index of the distribution of light or light-driven processes in an A. amabilis canopy.

Journal Article↗