Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 7
Endogenous Influences on Leaf Longevity
Bud break with 1-year old, sclerophyllous leaves of an evergreen tree,
Camellia japonica
The functional relationships among key traits defining leaf function do not stand in
isolation from functionality at the level of the whole plant. Hence, variation in leaf
longevity is contingent not only on variation in foliar design, but also on trade-offs
involving other aspects of plant function, which include aspects of functional orga-
nization from the level of single shoots to the entire canopy.
Timing of Leaf Emergence and Leaf Longevity
In temperate regions where the length of the growing season sets a limit on leaf lon-
gevity, deciduous species with indeterminate shoot growth can be expected to have
shorter-lived leaves than species with determinate shoot growth. This is the case in
