Potential advantages and disadvantages of germinating early for trees in floodplain forests

摘要: Seedlings of Acer rubrum, Carpinus caroliniana, and Platanus occidentalis were germinated grown under contrasting light regimes: varied (59% the abovecanopy photon flux incrementally decreased to 9%, simulating a forest understory during canopy leaf-out) low (constantly less than 10%, an after leaf-out). By time that in both treatments was equilibrated at 44 days first germination, plants order magnitude larger plants. However, remainder experiment, which all kept 9% light, had lower relative growth due to: 1) leaf area per unit plant mass; 2) net productivity area. A subset flooded equilibration, resulting reduced growth. Varied equally affected by flooding. Reported differences among species shade tolerance poorly correlated with response treatment.