TY - JOUR
T1 - Variation in propagule mass and its effect on carbon assimilation and seedling growth of red mangrove (rhizophora mangle) in florida, USA
AU - Lin, Guanghui
AU - Sternberg, Leonel D.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported partly by the National Science Foundation, USA (grant number: BSR 8908024). The authors especially thank Yuan Ke for assistance in field work and the culture of mangrove seedings in the greenhouse. This is publication No. 420 from the programme in Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution of the Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA.
PY - 1995
Y1 - 1995
N2 - We investigated the intrasoecific variation in propagule mass within red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) and its effect on carbon assimilation and seedling growth. Propagule sizes of red mangrove varied considerably at all three study sites along the south-eastern coast of Florida, with propagule fresh mass from 3,9 to 20.7 g for the scrub form and from 5.3 to 35.8 g for the tall form. Highly significant correlations were observed between propagule length and fresh weight at all three study sites and for two growth forms. The scrub form had significantly smaller propagules than the tall form. A greenhouse study showed that CO2 assimilation rates were not correlated with propagule mass, but total leaf area per plant increased significantly with increasing initial propagule mass in all three family lines of both the scrub and tall forms. Consequently, total carbon fixation rate by each seedling increased significantly with increasing propagule fresh weight in all cases, and the biomass increment significantly increased with increasing mass. Relative growth rate, however, was not correlated with propagule mass. The differences in leaf areas and biomass accumulation among seedlings from different sizes of propagules seem to have resulted from the differences in maternal reserve of hypocotyls. The considerable intraspecific variation in propagule size observed for red mangrove may have a significant effect on seedling growth and competitive ability. carbon fixation, Florida, mangrove, mangrove propagules, Rhizophora mangle, seed size variation, seedling establishment.
AB - We investigated the intrasoecific variation in propagule mass within red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) and its effect on carbon assimilation and seedling growth. Propagule sizes of red mangrove varied considerably at all three study sites along the south-eastern coast of Florida, with propagule fresh mass from 3,9 to 20.7 g for the scrub form and from 5.3 to 35.8 g for the tall form. Highly significant correlations were observed between propagule length and fresh weight at all three study sites and for two growth forms. The scrub form had significantly smaller propagules than the tall form. A greenhouse study showed that CO2 assimilation rates were not correlated with propagule mass, but total leaf area per plant increased significantly with increasing initial propagule mass in all three family lines of both the scrub and tall forms. Consequently, total carbon fixation rate by each seedling increased significantly with increasing propagule fresh weight in all cases, and the biomass increment significantly increased with increasing mass. Relative growth rate, however, was not correlated with propagule mass. The differences in leaf areas and biomass accumulation among seedlings from different sizes of propagules seem to have resulted from the differences in maternal reserve of hypocotyls. The considerable intraspecific variation in propagule size observed for red mangrove may have a significant effect on seedling growth and competitive ability. carbon fixation, Florida, mangrove, mangrove propagules, Rhizophora mangle, seed size variation, seedling establishment.
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U2 - 10.1017/S0266467400008464
DO - 10.1017/S0266467400008464
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0029473201
VL - 11
SP - 109
EP - 119
JO - Journal of Tropical Ecology
JF - Journal of Tropical Ecology
SN - 0266-4674
IS - 1
ER -