Variation in the components of relative growth rate in 10Acaciaspecies from contrasting environments

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Abstract
In this study we assessed the inherent relative growth rate (RGR) under controlled environment conditions of 10 contrastingAcaciaspecies from semi‐arid and mesic environments. For several of the species, compound pinnate leaves produced early in the seedling stage, were gradually replaced by phyllodes (expanded petioles that form simple lamina). Other species either did not form phyllodes, or only did so to a minor degree by the end of the study. Phyllode production was dominant in the four slow‐growingAcaciaspecies from semi‐arid environments (A. aneura, A. colei, A. coriaceaandA. tetragonophylla), with leaf production being exclusive or dominant in five (A. dealbata, A. implexa, A. mearnsii, A. melanoxylonandA. irrorata) of the six faster‐growing species from mesic environments. The exception wasA. salignawhich was fast growing but did produce phyllodes. From a carbon economy perspective, slow growth in the semi‐arid species was not associated with lower net assimilation rates or less plant mass allocated to foliage. Rather, the primary factor associated with their slow growth was a smaller foliage area per unit foliage mass. This was true for comparisons based on the mean over all harvests or at set plant masses. The production of phyllodes by the semi‐arid species substantially reduced foliage area per unit foliage mass, as this was lower for phyllodes than leaves in all species. To assess the impact that phyllode production had on ontogenetic changes in RGR, we modelled the situation where only leaves were formed. This analysis showed that changing from leaves to phyllodes substantially reduced the RGR. There was little difference in plant nitrogen concentration or the ratio of foliage nitrogen to plant nitrogen between the species. This resulted in foliage nitrogen productivity (dry mass gain per unit foliage nitrogen and time) being directly proportional to foliage area per unit foliage mass between species. We concluded that a smaller foliage area per unit foliage mass and phyllode production are the primary factors associated with lower RGR in contrastingAcaciaspecies.