Patterns of biomass allocation between foliage and woody structure: the effects of tree size and specific functional traits

What is it about?

The objective of this study was to investigate the biomass allocation to foliage and wood in six species, and how it is affected by the effects of tree size and plant traits (leaf area and wood density). We evaluated the biomass allocation pattern in the above ground compartment by calculating the leaf mass to wood mass ratio (LWR). The effect of tree size was showed by a decrease in LWR with increasing tree size, regardless of the species. There were also clear differences in biomass allocation between studied species. Greater biomass allocation to foliage was found in species with larger leaf area and with lower wood density.

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Why is it important?

The results of this study emphasise on the importance of species traits in explaining the distribution of growth resources within tree components and between species groups