Resource availability and repeated defoliation mediate compensatory growth in trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) seedlings.

ABSTRACT: Plant ecologists have debated the mechanisms used by plants to cope with the impact of herbivore damage. While plant resistance mechanisms have received much attention, plant compensatory growth as a type of plant tolerance mechanisms has been less studied. We conducted a greenhouse experiment to evaluate compensatory growth for trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) seedlings under varying intensities and frequencies of simulated defoliation, with or without nutrient enriched media. For the purpose of this study, changes in biomass production and non-structural carbohydrate concentrations (NSC) of roots and leaves were considered compensatory responses. All defoliated seedlings showed biomass accumulation under low defoliation intensity and frequency, regardless of resource availability; h

SUBMITTER: Erbilgin N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4106189 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature