Variation in Defence Strategies in Two Species of the Genus Beilschmiedia under Differing Soil Nutrient and Rainfall Conditions

J. Simon; R. E. Miller; I. E. Woodrow

doi:10.1055/s-2006-924537

Plant Biology, Table of Contents

Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2007; 9(1): 152-157
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-924537

Short Research Paper

Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart KG · New York

Variation in Defence Strategies in Two Species of the Genus Beilschmiedia under Differing Soil Nutrient and Rainfall Conditions

J. Simon¹ ^, ² , R. E. Miller¹ , I. E. Woodrow¹

¹School of Botany, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
²Present address: Institute of Forest Botany and Tree Physiology, Chair of Tree Physiology, Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 053/054, 79085 Freiburg, Germany

Abstract

The relationships between various leaf functional traits that are important in plant growth (e.g., specific leaf area) have been investigated in recent studies; however, research in this context on plants that are highly protected by chemical defences, particularly resource-demanding nitrogen-based defence, is lacking. We collected leaves from cyanogenic (N-defended) Beilschmiedia collina B. Hyland and acyanogenic (C-defended) Beilschmiedia tooram (F. M. Bailey) B. Hyland at high- and low-soil nutrient sites in two consecutive years that varied significantly in rainfall. We then measured the relationships between chemical defence and morphological and functional leaf traits under the different environmental conditions. We found that the two species differed significantly in their resource allocation to defence as well as leaf morphology and function. The N defended species had a higher leaf nitrogen concentration, whereas the C-defended species had higher amounts of C-based chemical defences (i.e., total phenolics and condensed tannins). The C-defended species also tended to have higher force to fracture and increased leaf toughness. In B. collina, cyanogenic glycoside concentration was higher with higher rainfall, but not with higher soil nutrients. Total phenolic concentration was higher at the high soil nutrient site in B. tooram, but lower in B. collina; however, with higher rainfall an increase was found in B. tooram, while phenolics decreased in B. collina. Condensed tannin concentration decreased in both species with rainfall and nutrient availability. We conclude that chemical defence is correlated with leaf functional traits and that variation in environmental resources affects this correlation.

Key words

Cyanogenesis - Beilschmiedia - condensed tannins - phenolics - structural defence - nutrient availability - rainfall.

Full Text

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J. Simon

Institute of Forest Botany and Tree Physiology
Chair of Tree Physiology
Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg

Georges-Köhler-Allee 053/054

79085 Freiburg

Germany

Email: judy.simon@ctp.uni-freiburg.de

Editor: M. C. Ball