The chemical composition and anatomical structure of leaves of grass species differing in relative growth rate

Arendonk, J. J. C. M. Van; Poorter, Hendrik

doi:10.1111/j.1365-3040.1994.tb00325.x

Cited by 165 publications

(133 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…On the other hand, mesophyll plus intercellular spaces and veins showed a weak cotrelation with SLM (Figs 5a & b). Van Arendonk & Poorter (1994) found a small decrease in percentage epidermis with increasing SLM, when plants were grown with free access to nitrate. Here we confirm the decrease in percentage epidermis for the slow-growing grass species (P, conipressa and P, pratensis) grown under high nitrogen supply.…”

Section: Growth Anatomy and Morphologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Comparing the four species at the three tates of N supply, there was no clear con-elation between SLM and the relative areas occupied by mesophyll cells plus intercellular spaces (Fig. 5a) |we pooled mesophyll cells and intercellular spaces, because it was virtually impossible to separate them with the LB.A.S.-technique, and since Van Arendonk & Poorter (1994) found no significant correlation of these separate parameters with the SLM], veins (Fig. 5b) or epidermal cells (Fig.…”

Section: Anatomymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a comparison of fast-and slow-growing grass species, the variation in RGR,,,.|;( is largely accounted for by variation in specific leaf area (SLA, leaf area:leaf dry mass; Garnier 1992; Van der Werf, Poorter & Lambers 1994). The low SLA of slowgrowing species is associated with more non-veinal sclerenchymatic cells, relatively small epidermal cells (Van Arendonk & Poorter 1994), a low leaf water content and a higli leaf mass density (Garnier & Laurent 1994;Ryser & Lambers 1995). Chemically, low SLA is associated with a comparatively high ratio of cell wall components to cytoplasmic compounds (Niemann et al 1992;Van Arendonk & Poorter 1994), which might be the cause of a higher leaf mass density.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a continuation of our earlier work with leaves of plants grown under conditions of free access to nutrients (Van Arendonk & Poorter 1994), we compared fast-and slow-growing grass species of one genus (Poet), grown at both an optimum and a limiting nitrogen supply. To facilitate comparison of fast-and slow-growing species at optimum and limiting nitrogen supply, we grew our plants under steady-stale conditions, adding nitrate in an exponential way ( Van der Werl' et al 1993b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of nitrogen supply on the anatomy and chemical composition of leaves of four grass species belonging to the genus Poa, as determined by image‐processing analysis and pyrolysis–mass spectrometry

Arendonk

Niemann

Boon

et al. 1997

Plant Cell & Environment

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Previous experiments have shown that the anatomy and chemical composition of leaves of inherently fast‐ and slow‐growing grass species, grown at non‐limiting nitrogen supply, differ systematically. The present experiment was carried out to investigate whether these differences persist when the plants are grown at an intermediate or a very low nitrogen supply. To this end, the inherently fast‐growing Poa annua L. and Poa trivialis L., and the inherently slow‐growing Poa compressa L. and Poa pratensis (L.) Schreb. were grown hydroponically at three levels of nitrate supply: at optimum (RGRmax) and at relative addition rates of 100 and 50 mmol N (mol N)−1 d−1 (RAR100 and RAR50), respectively. As expected, at the lowest N supply, the potentially fast‐growing species grew at the same rate as the inherently slow‐growing ones. Similarly, the differences in leaf area ratio (LAR, leaf area:total dry mass), specific leaf area (SLA, leaf arear:leaf dry mass) and leaf mass ratio (LMR, leaf dry mass:total dry mass) disappeared. Under optimal conditions, the fast‐growing species differed from the slow‐growing ones in that they had a higher N concentration. There were no significant differences in C concentration. With decreasing N supply, the total N concentration decreased and the differences between the species disappeared. The total C concentration increased for the fast‐growing species and decreased for the slow‐growing ones, i.e. the small, but insignificant, difference in C concentration between the species at RGRmax increased with decreasing N supply. The chemical composition of the leaves at low N supply, analysed in more detail by pyrolysis–mass spectrometry, showed an increase in the relative amounts of guaiacyl lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose, whereas those of syringyl lignin and protein decreased. The anatomy and morphology of the leaves of the four grass species differing in RGRmax were analysed by image‐processing analysis. The proportion of the total volume occupied by mesophyll plus intercellular spaces and epidermis did not correlate with the amount of leaf mass per unit leaf area (specific leaf mass, SLM) at different N supply. The higher SLM at low N supply was caused partly by a high proportion of non‐veinal sclerenchymatic cells per cross‐section and partly by the smaller volume of epidermal cells. We conclude that the decrease in relative growth rate (and increase in SLM) at decreasing N supply is partly due to chemical and anatomical changes. The differences between the fast‐ and slow‐growing grass species at an optimum nutrient supply diminished when plants were growing at a limiting nitrogen supply.

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Section: Growth Anatomy and Morphologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Anatomymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Effects of nitrogen supply on the anatomy and chemical composition of leaves of four grass species belonging to the genus Poa, as determined by image‐processing analysis and pyrolysis–mass spectrometry

Arendonk

Niemann

Boon

et al. 1997

Plant Cell & Environment

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“…However, a high specific leaf area can have negative consequences for plants growing under reduced radiation intensities because producing a large leaf area at little construction cost makes these leaves sensitive to mechanical stress and facilitate defoliation by herbivory (Van Arendonk and Poorter 1994;Duru et al 2004). Hence, some shade-tolerant species may not maximize growth at low light, but invest in tissues improving defense and assimilate storage, which permits plants to tolerate periods of low light close to or below the whole-plant light compensation point (Valladares and Niinemets 2008).…”

Section: Grass Strategies To Shadingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grass strategies and grassland community responses to environmental drivers: a review

Pontes

Maire

Schellberg

et al. 2015

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

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Grassland covers about one quarter of the Earth's land area and is currently estimated to contribute to the livelihoods of over 800 million people. Grassland provides ecosystem goods and services, mainly through the provisioning of milk and meat. Therefore, the proper use of grasslands will be essential for feeding the nine billion people that will inhabit planet Earth by 2050. In the context of a changing climate, we should better understand the interactions of environment, management and grass crop at individual, community and ecosystem levels. Functional ecology focuses on the roles and functions that species play in the community or ecosystem in which they occur. Functional ecology thus aims to understand how plant species adapt to environmental conditions and how management can alter this adaptation. Here, we review the latest advances in plant functional traits research and on species strategies to the main environmental factors occurring in grassland ecosystems: nutrient availability, grazing, cutting and shading. Functional ecology also provides a framework to better understand how species strategies interact with the species composition at the community level. Therefore, the literature on community assembling theories in relation to ecosystem processes most relevant to grassland management and services is also reviewed. Finally, future research questions and some new orientations for grassland experts are offered in order to meet the challenge of maintaining productivity and preservation of these semi-natural environments in the face of global change.

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Leaf and Stem In Vitro Digestibility for Grasses and Dicotyledons of Meadow Plant Communities in Spring

Duru¹

1997

J. Sci. Food Agric.

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: The aim of this study was to improve prediction of the herbage digestibility of meadow plant communities rich in species. The variability of the in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) at a given date could result both from the species which constitute the plant community and from the variability in the proportion of the di †erent plant components in relation to growth conditions. In order to separate the two factors, we studied the IVDMD change in spring, through the NIRS procedure, one month before and one month after the Ñower-ing stage of the main species. This was done for two sets of plant communities with very di †erent botanical composition, dominated by species such as Dactylis glomerata and Chaerophyllum aureum (three) or Festuca rubra and Sanguisorba minor (two plant communities). The IVDMD of dicotyledons was higher than those of grasses both for leaf blades and for stems. The leaf blade IVDMD was quite stable throughout the period studied while those of grasses decreased by about 100 g kg~1. The stem IVDMD for grasses as for dicotyledons Ðrst decreased quickly the month before the Ñowering stage of the main species, and then move slowly the next month. The di †erence in IVDMD between those species which were mostly in nutrient-rich habitats was 20 (stems of dicotyledons) to 80 g kg~1 (leaf blades of grasses) higher when compared to those species which were mostly in nutrient-poor habitats. These results, obtained for leaf blades and stems of sets of species with di †erent habitat characteristics, were in agreement with those of the literature on swards which are almost always pure. For modelling the digestibility change for such plant communities through a growth period, we propose to use the IVDMD values characteristic of a given set of species, as outlined above, and the proportion of the di †erent plant components in the herbage.

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The chemical composition and anatomical structure of leaves of grass species differing in relative growth rate

Cited by 165 publications

References 16 publications

Effects of nitrogen supply on the anatomy and chemical composition of leaves of four grass species belonging to the genus Poa, as determined by image‐processing analysis and pyrolysis–mass spectrometry

Effects of nitrogen supply on the anatomy and chemical composition of leaves of four grass species belonging to the genus Poa, as determined by image‐processing analysis and pyrolysis–mass spectrometry

Grass strategies and grassland community responses to environmental drivers: a review

Leaf and Stem In Vitro Digestibility for Grasses and Dicotyledons of Meadow Plant Communities in Spring

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