Biomass allocation of montane and desert Pondersoa Pine: An analog for response to climate change

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Ecology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/1937470· OSTI ID:6831267

Callaway, R M; DeLucia, E H ^[1]; Schlesinger, W H ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Illinois, Urbana, IL (United States)
2. Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States)

Aboveground biomass allocation of Pinus ponderosa on hydrothermally altered andesite in montane and desert climates was measured. Trees from montane climates had higher leaf mass per unit cross-sectional area of sapwood than trees from desert climates, suggesting a function response to differences in climate. Results also indicate that sapwood mass:leaf mass ratios of P. ponderosa may increase [approx]50% with a 5[degrees]C change in mean growing-season temperature. High proportional allocation of biomass to sapwood may improve water relations of P. ponderosa, but because sapwood contains living parenchyma, respiratory costs may be high. Simulated montane trees were 46-52% taller than desert trees, and montane trees 10 cm in dbh had twice the total aboveground mass of desert counterparts. Simulated 50-cm montane and desert trees were almost identical in total mass, even though the montane tree was 46% taller. The predicted proportion of biomass allocated to bole sapwood increased with size for both montane and desert models; however, the 50-cm desert model contained 8% more total sapwood mass than the taller montane model. Biomass of primary and secondary branches differed considerably. The 50-cm desert model had twice as much biomass in primary branches, whereas the montane model had 3 times more biomass in secondary branches than the desert model. For 10-cm trees of the desert and montane models 29 and 33% of the biomass were leaves, respectively. In larger trees, leaf allocation decreased to 5 and 7% for desert and montane models, respectively. The effects of climate on biomass allocation such as reported here, and corresponding changes in whole-plant assimilation rates must be incorporated into growth-response models used to predict future fluctuations in forest productivity due to global climate change. 35 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 6831267
• Journal Information: Ecology; (United States), Journal Name: Ecology; (United States) Vol. 75:5; ISSN 0012-9658; ISSN ECOLAR
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560400* -- Other Environmental Pollutant Effects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ARID LANDS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CLIMATIC CHANGE
CONIFERS
GROWTH
MOUNTAINS
PINES
PINOPHYTA
PLANT GROWTH
PLANTS
TREES