Biomass allocation and seasonal non-structural carbohydrate dynamics do not explain the success of tall forbs in short alpine grassland.

ABSTRACT: The majority of alpine plants are of small stature. Through their small size alpine plants are decoupled from the free atmospheric circulation and accumulate solar heat. However, a few alpine species do not follow that "rule" and protrude with their aboveground structures from the microclimatic shelter of the main canopy boundary layer. We aim at explaining the phenomenon of being tall by exploring the biomass production and carbon relations of four pairs of small and tall phylogenetically related taxa in alpine grassland. We compared species and stature-specific biomass allocation, shifts in non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations in different tissues throughout the season, and we used ¹³C labels to track carbon transfer from leaves to belowground structures. Small and

SUBMITTER: Hiltbrunner E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8591020 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature