Leaf conductance of primary and mature leaves ofPinus roxburghii: A comparison |
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| Authors: | Donald B Zobel Satish C Garkoti Surendra P Singh |
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| Institution: | (1) Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, 97331-2902 Corvallis, OR, USA;(2) Botany Department, Kumaun University, 263 002 Naini Tal, India;(3) Present address: Department of Ecology, Assam University, Silchar, Assam, India |
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| Abstract: | We used a null-balance porometer to measure leaf conductance of mature and primary leaves of natural seedlings, saplings,
and trees ofPinus roxburghii (chir) during autumn at four sites at 1,320–1,930 m elevation in the central Himalaya of India. Our hypothesis that primary
leaves had higher leaf conductance than mature leaves (needles in fascicles), based on measurements in other pines, was rejected.
Comparisons on the same saplings and seedlings showed lower leaf conductance for primary leaves than for mature leaves. Primary
leaves on seedlings and saplings also did not consistently have higher leaf conductance than mature leaves on near-by trees.
Mature leaves on seedlings, however, did often have higher conductance than mature leaves on nearby trees. Mean values for
leaf conductance (mmol m−2 s−1, based on total leaf surface area) ranged from 42–82 for mature leaves on trees, 60–121 for mature leaves on seedlings, and
28–67 for primary leaves on seedlings. Compared to published values for other pine species, conductance of mature leaves ofP. roxburghii is relatively low.
Funding for this study was provided by grants from the United States National Science Foundation, INT-9312052 and INT-9404043.
We appreciate the review of an early draft by Barbara Bond. |
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| Keywords: | chir Himalaya primary needles seedling ecology stomatal response |
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