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Intraspecific variation in spring leaf phenology and duration of leaf expansion in relation to leaf habit and leaf size of temperate tree species

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Abstract

Spring leaf phenology has been intensively studied in temperate deciduous broad-leaved tree species, but the phenology of evergreen broad-leaved tree species has seldom been focused on. Evaluation of the difference in spring leaf phenology between coexisting deciduous and evergreen species is essential to predict their responses to climate change. In this study, spring leaf phenology was investigated for the 12 deciduous and 12 evergreen broad-leaved species coexisting in a warm-temperate forest in Japan, based on the predictions that selection pressure for earlier leaf production in spring results in less intraspecific variation in phenology at a given timing (SDmax) and a shorter duration of leaf expansion in deciduous than in evergreen species. In contrast to this prediction, SDmax did not differ between deciduous and evergreen species and was not related to leaf area or LMA. On the other hand, the duration of leaf expansion was longer in evergreen than in deciduous species, and was positively correlated with LMA. The leaves of greater LMA required longer periods of leaf expansion, probably due to a higher cost of and/or more conservative leaf development in the face of herbivory. As a consequence, the timing of full leaf expansion was delayed not only by later budburst (approximately two weeks) but also by a longer duration of leaf expansion (approximately two weeks) in evergreen than in deciduous broad-leaved species, which would probably influence the productivity of newly emerging leaves in spring.

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Acknowledgements

I appreciate Dr. Delpierre and an anonymous reviewer for their helpful comments. This study was partly supported by grants from the Fujiwara Natural History Public Interest Incorporated Foundation and JSPS grant (15K07465 and 19K06130).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Plant Conservation Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Meijo University, Nagoya, 468-8502, Japan

    Noriyuki Osada

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  1. Noriyuki Osada
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Correspondence to Noriyuki Osada.

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Communicated by Lesley Rigg.

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11258_2020_1052_MOESM1_ESM.eps

Seasonal changes in the phenological stage and standard deviation of the phenological stage (SD) of the 24 species in 2012. Dots and lines indicate the phonological stage and SD, respectively. The maximum value of SD was defined as SDmax for each species and year Supplementary file1 (EPS 2134 kb)

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Osada, N. Intraspecific variation in spring leaf phenology and duration of leaf expansion in relation to leaf habit and leaf size of temperate tree species. Plant Ecol 221, 939–950 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-020-01052-x

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