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AOBPreview originally published online on December 12, 2003
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Annals of Botany 93: 141-147, 2004
© 2004 Annals of Botany Company

Chemical and Physical Defence in Early and Late Leaves in Three Heterophyllous Birch Species Native to Northern Japan

SAWAKO MATSUKI1, YUZOU SANO1 and TAKAYOSHI KOIKE*,2

1 Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8589, Japan and 2 Boreal Forest Conservation Studies, Hokkaido University Forests, FSC, Sapporo 060-0809, Japan

* For correspondence. Fax 81-11-706-3450, e-mail tkoike{at}exfor.agr.hokudai.ac.jp

Received: 18 June 2003; Returned for revision: 31 July 2003; Accepted: 9 October 2003    Published electronically: 12 December 2003

• Background and Aims Betula ermanii, B. maximowicziana and B. platyphylla var. japonica have heterophyllous leaves (i.e. early leaves and late leaves) and are typical pioneer species in northern Japan. Chemical and physical defences against herbivores in early and late leaves of these species were studied.

• Methods Two-year-old seedlings were grown under full sunlight in a single growing season. Three-week-old leaves of each seedling were harvested three times (May, July and October). Total phenolics and condensed tannin content were determined for chemical defence and leaf toughness and trichome density were assessed for physical defence. Defoliation of early leaves in May was also performed to study the contribution of early leaves to subsequent growth.

• Key Results Chemical and physical defences were greater in early than late leaves in B. platyphylla and B. ermanii, whereas the reverse was true in B. maximowicziana. In contrast to its weak chemical defences, the trichome density in B. maximowicziana was very high. In B. platyphylla and B. ermanii, the relative growth rates (RGR) were greater early in the growing season. Negative effects on growth of removal of early leaves were significant only in B. platyphylla.

• Conclusions B. platyphylla and B. ermanii invest in defence in early rather than late leaves, since early leaves are crucial to subsequent growth. In contrast, B. maximowicziana more strongly defends its late leaves, since its RGR is maintained at the same level throughout the growing season.

Key words: Betula ermanii Cham, Betula maximowicziana Regel, Betula platyphylla var. japonica Hara, birch, anti-herbivore, defoliation, leaf toughness, phenolics, trichome, photosynthetic rate.


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S. MATSUKI and T. KOIKE
Comparison of Leaf Life Span, Photosynthesis and Defensive Traits Across Seven Species of Deciduous Broad-leaf Tree Seedlings
Ann. Bot., May 1, 2006; 97(5): 813 - 817.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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