This is a broad, quantitative comparison of 12 maple species, representing both canopy and subcanopy growth forms, grown under two ecologically relevant light environments. The maple seedlings responded mainly to light intensity; light quality plays only a minor role in the induction of shade characteristics. While a light-mediated trade off between light and dark reactions of photosynthesis was evident at the chloroplast level, this did not lead to similar differences in assimilaton rates. Gap-grown seedlings showed no apparent compromise in photosynthetic response to dim light and lightflecks. Seedlings of subcanopy trees trade off wood strength for increases in plant size while canopy seedlings sacrifice plant size for wood strength. The demand for greater wood strength in seedlings of canopy trees appears to pose a strong developmental constraint that delays maturation. Free of this constraint, subcanopy species can devote more resource to reach adult size quickly and at an earlier age.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.39406 |
| Date | January 1992 |
| Creators | Lei, Thomas T. (Thomas Ting) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Biology.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001312311, proquestno: NN80358, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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