No abstract

Over a three-year period, CO(2) exchange rates were measured continuously on the aboveground parts of a 13-year-old hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa (Sieb. et Zucc.) Endl.) tree in the field, using an open gas-exchange system tracking ambient temperature. The relationship between daily aerial respiratory consumption and daily gross production, which was analyzed monthly, closely resembled McCree's equation. The value of the coefficient of growth respiration ranged between 0.0 in winter and 0.16 in summer and increased with increasing monthly mean temperature. A clockwise loop was observed for monthly change in the relationship between the coefficient of growth respiration and temperature. Maintenance respiration could be formulated as a power function of aboveground dry weight. The exponent of the equation ranged from 0.3 to 1.1. A value of 1.1 in May and June, when trees were growing most actively, indicated that maintenance respiration was directly proportional to aboveground weight. In March, April, July, and August, maintenance respiration was not proportional to aboveground weight, but it was closely proportional to surface area. The exponent value exhibited seasonal change with a clockwise loop in response to monthly average temperature. During the dormant season, respiration was used only for maintenance purposes, whereas during the growing season both growth and maintenance respiration occurred. Annual growth and maintenance respiration increased with increasing tree age. The average annual contribution to total respiratory consumption was 21% for growth respiration and 79% for maintenance respiration.

Vertical changes in relative!ight intensity within the canopy of a 19-year-old (as of 1982) plantation of Japanese larch were investigated before and after defoliation. The relative light intensity at 1.3 m above the ground was 6 ~ before defoliation, while it was about 20 ~ after defoliation. The leaf area index and the total longitudinal section area of such non-photosynthetic organs as stems and branches were in the range 4.84 to 5.61

A Weibull function was used to model the vertical distribution of leaf area of individual trees in a 25-year-old Chamaecyparis obtusa (Siebold & Zucc.) Endl. plantation. The parameter representing the shape of the leaf distribution was independent of tree size. A scale parameter tended to decrease with tree size suggesting a critical minimum height for retention of foliage by trees. On the basis of leaf distribution, the photosynthetic production of individual trees was estimated from the canopy photosynthetic production, which was determined from a model of canopy photosynthesis. The data indicated that the photosynthesis of a tree was proportional to the corresponding tree weight to the power of 1.84. Furthermore, the photosynthetic production varied as the 3/2nd power of total leaf area of the tree. Thus, it was concluded that the photosynthetic production per unit of leaf area, that is, the mean photosynthetic activity of a tree, is proportional to the stem girth at clear length, or the square root of the leaf area of the tree.

In an 18 year old Japanese larch stand, leaf characteristics such as area, weight, gross photosynthetic rate and respiration rate were studied in order to obtain basic information on estimating canopy photosynthesis and respiration. The leaf growth courses in area and weight from bud opening were approximated by simple logistic curves. The growth coefficient for the area growth curve was 0.155-0.175 day -1, while that for the weight growth was 0.112-0.117 day -1. The larger growth coefficient in area growth caused the seasonal change in specific leaf area (SLA) that increased after bud opening to its peak early in May at almost 300 cm 2 g-1 and then decreaseduntil it leveled off at about