INSTYTUT DENDROLOGII

Benjamín Jarčuška

Is preformation of future shoots in Fagus sylvatica L. buds reflected in bud/sprouted shoot traits relationships?

Dendrobiology 2011, vol. 66: 25-31

Full text (pdf)

Abstract: The present study was aimed to find out whether the preformation of future shoot's organs within a bud is reflected in the bud size/shoot functional traits' size relationships. The survey attempts to evaluate whether relationships between the bud mass and stem mass, leaf mass, leaf area, total mass and number of leaves, respectively, of spring-shoot sprouted by the bud in Fagus sylvatica (L.) saplings are affected by parental bud location within shoot and parental shoot type. Dry mass of the terminal bud, the first and the last lateral buds placed on terminal and uppermost lateral shoots was estimated nondestructively for 58 beech saplings in December 2008. The shoots sprouted from the measured buds were sampled at the end of growing season, in August 2009. Bud mass, parental shoot type and bud location explained about 90% of shoot traits variability in full-factorial ANOVA. The leaf mass was the only shoot trait not affected by parental shoot type and bud location within shoot in scaling relationship with bud mass. There was not found differences among intercepts across parental shoot types and bud locations, however significant shift along common slope was observed among them. The presented findings could be viewed as a confirmation of the preformation and full development of leaf primordia within the European beech buds prior to bud burst.

Additional key words: European beech; bud mass; shoot functional traits; leaf mass; organ preformation