Why Are There so Many Plant Species That Transiently Flush Young Leaves Red in the Tropics?

ABSTRACT: Delayed greening of young leaves is a ubiquitous and visually striking phenomenon in the tropics. Here, we investigated the potential ecological functions of red coloration patterns in young leaves. To detect any protective function of the red coloration on the young leaves, leaf damage by insect herbivores was recorded in the field. To determine capacity for chemical defense, the concentrations of tannins and anthocyanins were measured in both young and mature leaves. To test the hypothesis that anthocyanins function as photo-protective molecules, chlorophyll content, maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (F _v /F_m ), non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), and effective quantum yield of PSII (Φ_PSII ) were meas

SUBMITTER: Gong WC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7041174 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature