Additive effects of genotype, nutrient availability and type of tissue damage on the compensatory response of Salix planifolia ssp. planifolia to simulated herbivory
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Authors: G. Houle, and G. Simard
Date: 1996
Journal: Oecologia
Volume: 107
Number:
Pages: 373-378
Summary of Methods: A study in Quebec cloned several genets of Salix planifolia and submitted them to simulated root and/or leaf herbivory while varying the nutrient availability. Results showed that leaf herbivory is much more detrimental to S. planifolia than root herbivory, reducing both green shoot and root biomass, and root relative growth rates. Leaf demography is not altered by the simulated herbivory treatments, but leaf physiology is, as lower stomatal resistance for the simulated leaf herbivory plants suggests higher photosynthetic rate. Higher photosynthetic activity and concurrent higher green shoot relative growth rates indicate some degree of compensation as a result of leaf herbivory. However, higher root relative growth rates as a result of simulated root herbivory is also a compensatory response, but one that does not appear to be associated with increased photosynthetic activity and that is not manifested at the expense of above-ground growth. In this experiment there was the absence of interactions among factors (genotype, nutrient availability, and type of tissue damage) on the compensatory response of S. planifolia. This result indicates that the treatment effects are strictly additive for all the clones studied.
Article Summary / Main Points: None
Vegetation Types:
MLRA Ecoregions:
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Wildlife
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: nutrient addition, plant compensation, plant tolerance, relative growth rate, stomatal resistance, salix planifolia ssp. planifolia
Annotation: Cuttings from each clone received one of the following treatments (randomly assigned): simulated root herbivory (50% of the roots, i.e. every other root, cut to 50% of their length); simulated leaf herbivory (50% of the leaves, i.e. every other leaf, cut to 50% of their length); simulated root and leaf herbivory (combination of the above treatments); and no simulated herbivory.
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