Correlated ecophysiological and growth related leaf traits among Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes
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Date
2008-12-02
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Abstract
Across plant taxa there are large-scale correlations among ecophysiological leaf traits: Specific leaf area (SLA), maximum photosynthetic rate (Amax), Leaf nitrogen content (NL), and leaf lifespan (LL). Suite syndromes of leaf traits are associated among r and K-selected species and Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes exhibit groth syndromes similar to the r and K-selection theory and range from a wide variety of latitudes of origin. The purpose of this study was to determine if the ecoyphysiological leaf traits: SLA, Amax, Nl, LL and other growth-rleated traits were correlated across A. thaliana ecotypes from a wide range of latitudes of origin. Fifteen A. thaliana ecotypes were grown in an experimental growth chamber to determine if these ecophysiological and other growth-related leaf traits such as leaf initiation rate and bolting time were correlated across the ecytpes. Results indicate that SLA, Amax and NL were correlated across the ecotypes as consistent with global trends while LL was not significantly correlated. The life history trait, bolting time, was correlated with leaf tratis. There was a wide range of leaf age and change in longevity among the leaves, making leaf lifespan difficult to determine. The results from this study indicate that A. thaliana will be a good model in order to understand the developmental and genetic links with these correlations.
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photosynthesis, specific leaf area, leaf nitrogen, Arabidopsis thaliana
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Degree
MS
Discipline
Botany
