E. Nicolini et al., Influence of canopy density on architectural development of young sessile oak, Quercus patraea (Matt.) Liebl. (Fagaceae) during forest regeneration, CAN J BOTAN, 78(12), 2000, pp. 1531-1544
Citations number
72
Categorie Soggetti
Plant Sciences
Journal title
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY-REVUE CANADIENNE DE BOTANIQUE
The growth and branching patterns of the main axis of 6-year-old sessile oa
k, growing in a natural regeneration in the north of France, were analysed
each year retrospectively according to three increasing canopy density cond
itions: large gap, small gap, and dense canopy. Increasing gap size is asso
ciated with an increase in the total height, basal diameter, branching prob
ability, and global polycyclism rate of the trees. At the growth unit or an
nual shoot level, from dense canopy to large gaps these botanical entities
also show an increase in their total length, number of nodes, polycyclism,
and branching rate as well as mean number of branches and mean internode le
ngth. A discussion of our results revealed some endogenous features of grow
th and branching patterns in young sessile oak trees. It is also shown that
increasing canopy density generally tends to reduce the expression of the
endogenous architectural sequence of differentiation of young sessile oak t
rees. Young trees growing below dense canopy thus seem to be "delayed" in t
heir sequence of differentiation and appear to be in a "waiting" status, wh
ereas young trees growing in large gaps exhibit an architecture very simila
r to trees growing in nurseries under nonlimiting growth conditions.