Adaptive plasticity in the life history strategy of a canopy tree species, Pterocarya rhoifolia, along a gradient of maximum snow depth

作者：Nakano Yosuke^*; Sakio Hitoshi

来源：Plant Ecology, 2017, 218(4): 395-406.

DOI：10.1007/s11258-016-0698-2

• Maximum snow depth
• Disturbance Sprouting
• Seed production
• Tree size
• Trade-offs

The Japanese wingnut Pterocarya rhoifolia is a riparian canopy tree species that grows under a variety of climate conditions, including heavy snowfall, despite the difficulties posed to canopy trees in such environments. This suggests that P. rhoifolia might adapt its life history strategy to different snowfall conditions. This study compared several life history traits of this tree species in a cool temperate mountainous area in central Japan along a gradient of maximum snow depth. The following trends were observed with increasing maximum snow depth: (1) diameter at breast height decreased, maximum stem length and tree height shortened, and trees tended toward a 'dwarf shrub' form; (2) the number of sprout stems increased significantly, and these sprouts contributed to maintaining the population; and (3) seed production decreased. Our results suggest trade-offs between clonal growth (sprouting) and sexual reproduction (seed production), and between sprouting and height growth. We concluded that the life history strategy P. rhoifolia demonstrated adaptive plasticity in response to a gradient of maximum snow depth.

• 出版日期2017-4