Patterns of growth and nutrient accumulation in expanding leaves of Eucalyptus regnans (Myrtaceae)
Jacqueline R. England A B C and Peter M. Attiwill AA School of Botany, The University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia.
B Present address: CSIRO Forest Biosciences, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, Vic. 3169, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: Jacqui.England@csiro.au
Australian Journal of Botany 56(1) 44-50 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT07053
Submitted: 22 March 2007 Accepted: 16 October 2007 Published: 8 February 2008
Abstract
Patterns of leaf growth and nutrient accumulation were investigated in relation to leaf ontogeny in the tree species Eucalyptus regnans F.Muell. Newly emergent leaves were tagged in the field and collected every 14 days for measurement of leaf dimensions and nutrient concentrations over a 113-day period. Patterns of growth in area, length, width and mass of leaves followed sigmoid curves. An exponential rate of growth for all measures was observed up to 56 days after leaf emergence, after which there was little increase. Conversely, specific leaf area (leaf area/leaf mass) decreased from emergence to about Day 56 and then remained relatively constant. Contents of all nutrients (measured on a leaf basis) increased during leaf expansion. Concentrations of N, P and K decreased and Ca concentration increased, but there was no clear trend for Mg concentration with leaf development. In general, the results of the present study verify previously developed ‘idealised curves’ of changes in dry mass and nutrient concentrations with leaf age for eucalypts. Patterns of leaf growth and nutrient accumulation (particularly N) show that leaves had reached full expansion and physiological maturity by ~80–90 days after emergence.
Acknowledgements
The study was supported through an Australian Postgraduate Award (J. R. England), and an Australian Research Council grant (P. M. Attiwill). The authors thank Cathryn England, Lucy O’Hagan, Geoff Barry, Nick Williams and Peter Mahoney for assistance with field sampling. Shaun Cunningham and anonymous reviewers provided comments that improved the manuscript.
Ashton DH
(1975) The seasonal growth of Eucalyptus regnans F.Muell. Australian Journal of Botany 23, 239–252.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ashton DH, Turner JS
(1979) Studies on the light compensation point of Eucalyptus regnans F.Muell. Australian Journal of Botany 27, 589–607.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Beadle NCW, Costin AB
(1952) Ecological classification and nomenclature. Proceedings of the Linnaen Society of New South Wales 77, 61–82.
Ben Haj Salah H, Tardieu F
(1995) Temperature affects expansion rate of maize leaves without change in spatial distribution of cell length. Analysis of the coordination between cell division and cell expansion. Plant Physiology 109, 861–870.
| PubMed |
Ben Haj Salah H, Tardieu F
(1996) Quantitative analysis of the combined effects of temperature, evaporative demand and light on leaf elongation rate in well watered field and laboratory-grown maize plants. Journal of Experimental Botany 47, 1689–1698.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Cameron RJ
(1970) Light intensity and the growth of Eucalyptus seedlings. I. Ontogenetic variation in E. fastigata. Australian Journal of Botany 18, 29–43.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Choinski JS,
Ralph P, Eamus D
(2003) Changes in photosynthesis during leaf expansion in Corymbia gummifera. Australian Journal of Botany 51, 111–118.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Clarkson DT, Hanson JB
(1980) The mineral nutrition of higher plants. Annual Review of Plant Physiology 31, 239–298.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Drossopoulos B,
Kouchaji GG, Bouranis DL
(1996) Seasonal dynamics of mineral nutrients and carbohydrates by walnut tree leaves. Journal of Plant Nutrition 19, 493–516.
Edwards PB
(1982) Do waxes on juvenile Eucalyptus leaves provide protection from grazing insects? Australian Journal of Ecology 7, 347–352.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
England JR, Attiwill PM
(2006) Changes in leaf morphology and anatomy with tree age and height in the broadleaved evergreen species, Eucalyptus regnans F.Muell. Trees (Berlin) 20, 79–90.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fife DN, Nambiar EKS
(1982) Accumulation and retranslocation of mineral nutrients in developing needles in relation to seasonal growth of young radiata pine trees. Annals of Botany 50, 817–830.
Hickey JE,
Kostaglou P, Sargison GJ
(2000) Tasmania’s tallest trees. Tasforests 12, 105–122.
Lecoeur J,
Wery J,
Turc O, Tardieu F
(1995) Expansion of pea leaves subjected to short water deficit: cell number and cell size are sensitive to stress at different periods of leaf development. Journal of Experimental Botany 46, 1093–1101.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Leece DR, Gilmour AR
(1974) Diagnostic leaf analysis for stone fruit. 2. Seasonal changes in the leaf composition of peach. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 14, 822–827.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ludlow AE
(1991) Ochna pulchra Hook: leaf growth and development related to photosynthetic activity. Annals of Botany 68, 527–540.
Metcalfe JC,
Davies WJ, Pereira JS
(1991) Control of growth of juvenile leaves of Eucalyptus globulus: effects of leaf age. Tree Physiology 9, 491–500.
| PubMed |
Milthorpe FL, Newton P
(1963) Studies of the expansion of the leaf surface. III. The influence of radiation on cell division and leaf expansion. Journal of Experimental Botany 14, 483–495.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Miyazawa S,
Satomi S, Terashima I
(1998) Slow leaf development of evergreen broad-leaved tree species in Japanese warm temperate forests. Annals of Botany 82, 859–869.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Nambiar EKS, Fife DN
(1987) Growth and nutrient retranslocation in needles of radiata pine in relation to nitrogen supply. Annals of Botany 60, 147–156.
Nii N,
Watanabe T,
Yamaguchi K, Nishimura M
(1995) Changes of anatomical features, photosynthesis and ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase content of mango leaves. Annals of Botany 76, 649–656.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Oleksyn J,
Zytkowiak R,
Reich PB,
Tjoelker MG, Karolewski P
(2000) Ontogenetic patterns of leaf CO2 exchange, morphology and chemistry in Betula pendula trees. Trees 14, 271–281.
Polglase PJ, Attiwill PM
(1992) Nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in relation to stand age of Eucalyptus regnans F.Muell.: I. Return from plant to soil in litterfall. Plant and Soil 142, 157–166.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Reich PB,
Walters MB, Ellsworth DS
(1991) Leaf age and season influence the relationships between leaf nitrogen, leaf mass per area, and photosynthesis in maple and oak trees. Plant, Cell & Environment 14, 251–259.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Reich PB,
Walters MB,
Ellsworth DS, Uhl C
(1994) Photosynthesis–nitrogen relations in Amazonian tree species. I. Patterns among species and communities. Oecologia 97, 62–72.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Thomas DA, Barber HN
(1974) Studies of leaf characteristics of a cline of Eucalyptus urnigera from Mount Wellington, Tasmania. I. Water repellency and freezing of leaves. Australian Journal of Botany 22, 501–512.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
