Testing the correlations between leaf life span and leaf structural reinforcement in 13 species of European Mediterranean woody plants

• Published in: Functional ecology Vol. 22; no. 5; pp. 787 - 793
• Main Authors: Mediavilla, S, Garcia-Ciudad, A, Garcia-Criado, B, Escudero, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2008; British Ecological Society; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Blackwell Science
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; Biological taxonomies; deciduous; evergreen; fibre concentration; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Human ecology; leaf mass per area; leaf thickness; Leaves; Life span; Lignin; Longevity; Plant ecology; Plant Physiological Ecology; Plants; Species; Structural reinforcement; Europe; leaf thickness; Mediterranean vegetation; Plant leaf; deciduous; Longevity; Woody plant; Leaf area; evergreen; Thickness; Mass; Concentration measurement; leaf mass per area; fibre concentration

1. It has been proposed that in longer-living leaves the allocation of biomass to structural components is greater than in shorter-living leaves, leading to a greater leaf mass per area (LMA) and to lower assimilation rates. However, direct evidence in support of this hypothesis is very scarce. 2. I...