Redeployment of Shoots into Better-Lit Positions within the Crowns of Saplings of Five Species with Different Growth Patterns

Research Highlights: We demonstrate the first quantitative evidence that the shoot shedding of fast-growing species growing in a high-light environment is part of the process of shoot redeployment into better-lit outer parts of the crown. Background and Objectives: Light foraging by redeploying orga...

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Main Authors: Kohei Koyama, Hiroyuki Shirakawa, Kihachiro Kikuzawa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-12-01
Series:Forests
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/12/1301
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author Kohei Koyama
Hiroyuki Shirakawa
Kihachiro Kikuzawa
author_facet Kohei Koyama
Hiroyuki Shirakawa
Kihachiro Kikuzawa
author_sort Kohei Koyama
collection DOAJ
description Research Highlights: We demonstrate the first quantitative evidence that the shoot shedding of fast-growing species growing in a high-light environment is part of the process of shoot redeployment into better-lit outer parts of the crown. Background and Objectives: Light foraging by redeploying organs from shaded regions of a tree crown into better-lit regions is considered to apply to both leaves and shoots. To date, however, this hypothesis has never been tested for shoots. Materials and Methods: We investigated the shoot dynamics of saplings of five deciduous woody species. We included fast-growing and slow-growing species (<i>Alnus sieboldiana</i> Matsum., <i>Castanea crenata</i> Siebold & Zucc., <i>Betula ermanii</i> Cham., <i>Acer distylum</i> Siebold & Zucc., and <i>Fagus crenata</i> Blume). Results: Shoots in the shaded regions of the crowns of the fast-growing trees showed higher mortality rates than those at better-lit positions. Because of the selective shedding of the shaded shoots, at the end of the growth period the light environment experienced by the shoots that survived until the following spring was similar to that at the early stage of the same growth period. By contrast, the slow-growing trees displayed slow and determinate growth, with a very low mortality rate of shoots at all positions in the crown. Conclusions: The rapid shoot turnover of the fast-growing species resulted in the redeployment of shoots into better-lit positions within the tree crown in a manner similar to the redeployment of leaves.
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spelling doaj.art-57e4f847ed4a4c189b92167748096e5c2023-11-20T23:24:54ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072020-12-011112130110.3390/f11121301Redeployment of Shoots into Better-Lit Positions within the Crowns of Saplings of Five Species with Different Growth PatternsKohei Koyama0Hiroyuki Shirakawa1Kihachiro Kikuzawa2Department of Life Science and Agriculture, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, JapanLaboratory of Forest Biology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, JapanLaboratory of Forest Biology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, JapanResearch Highlights: We demonstrate the first quantitative evidence that the shoot shedding of fast-growing species growing in a high-light environment is part of the process of shoot redeployment into better-lit outer parts of the crown. Background and Objectives: Light foraging by redeploying organs from shaded regions of a tree crown into better-lit regions is considered to apply to both leaves and shoots. To date, however, this hypothesis has never been tested for shoots. Materials and Methods: We investigated the shoot dynamics of saplings of five deciduous woody species. We included fast-growing and slow-growing species (<i>Alnus sieboldiana</i> Matsum., <i>Castanea crenata</i> Siebold & Zucc., <i>Betula ermanii</i> Cham., <i>Acer distylum</i> Siebold & Zucc., and <i>Fagus crenata</i> Blume). Results: Shoots in the shaded regions of the crowns of the fast-growing trees showed higher mortality rates than those at better-lit positions. Because of the selective shedding of the shaded shoots, at the end of the growth period the light environment experienced by the shoots that survived until the following spring was similar to that at the early stage of the same growth period. By contrast, the slow-growing trees displayed slow and determinate growth, with a very low mortality rate of shoots at all positions in the crown. Conclusions: The rapid shoot turnover of the fast-growing species resulted in the redeployment of shoots into better-lit positions within the tree crown in a manner similar to the redeployment of leaves.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/12/1301branch lifespanshoot lifespanstem lifespanbranch sheddingshoot sheddingstem shedding
spellingShingle Kohei Koyama
Hiroyuki Shirakawa
Kihachiro Kikuzawa
Redeployment of Shoots into Better-Lit Positions within the Crowns of Saplings of Five Species with Different Growth Patterns
Forests
branch lifespan
shoot lifespan
stem lifespan
branch shedding
shoot shedding
stem shedding
title Redeployment of Shoots into Better-Lit Positions within the Crowns of Saplings of Five Species with Different Growth Patterns
title_full Redeployment of Shoots into Better-Lit Positions within the Crowns of Saplings of Five Species with Different Growth Patterns
title_fullStr Redeployment of Shoots into Better-Lit Positions within the Crowns of Saplings of Five Species with Different Growth Patterns
title_full_unstemmed Redeployment of Shoots into Better-Lit Positions within the Crowns of Saplings of Five Species with Different Growth Patterns
title_short Redeployment of Shoots into Better-Lit Positions within the Crowns of Saplings of Five Species with Different Growth Patterns
title_sort redeployment of shoots into better lit positions within the crowns of saplings of five species with different growth patterns
topic branch lifespan
shoot lifespan
stem lifespan
branch shedding
shoot shedding
stem shedding
url https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/12/1301
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AT hiroyukishirakawa redeploymentofshootsintobetterlitpositionswithinthecrownsofsaplingsoffivespecieswithdifferentgrowthpatterns
AT kihachirokikuzawa redeploymentofshootsintobetterlitpositionswithinthecrownsofsaplingsoffivespecieswithdifferentgrowthpatterns