Allometric Growth of Annual <i>Pinus yunnanensis</i> After Decapitation Under Different Shading Levels
<i>Pinus yunnanensis</i>, a native tree species in southwest China, is shading-tolerant and ecologically significant. Light has a critical impact on plant physiology, and decapitation improves canopy light penetration and utilization efficiency. The study of allometric relationships is w...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Plants |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/15/2251 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849239526477660160 |
|---|---|
| author | Pengrui Wang Chiyu Zhou Boning Yang Jiangfei Li Yulan Xu Nianhui Cai |
| author_facet | Pengrui Wang Chiyu Zhou Boning Yang Jiangfei Li Yulan Xu Nianhui Cai |
| author_sort | Pengrui Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Pinus yunnanensis</i>, a native tree species in southwest China, is shading-tolerant and ecologically significant. Light has a critical impact on plant physiology, and decapitation improves canopy light penetration and utilization efficiency. The study of allometric relationships is well-known in forestry, forest ecology, and related fields. Under control (full daylight exposure, 0% shading), L1 (partial shading, 25% shading), L2 (medium shading, 50% shading), and L3 (serious shading, 75% shading) levels, this study used the decapitation method. The results confirmed the effectiveness of decapitation in annual <i>P. yunnanensis</i> and showed that the main stem maintained isometric growth in all shading treatments, accounting for 26.8% of the individual plant biomass, and exhibited dominance in biomass allocation and high shading sensitivity. These results also showed that lateral roots exhibited a substantial biomass proportion of 12.8% and maintained more than 0.5 of higher plasticity indices across most treatments. Moreover, the lateral root exhibited both the lowest slope in 0.5817 and the highest significance (<i>p</i> = 0.023), transitioning from isometric to allometric growth under L1 shading treatment. Importantly, there was a positive correlation between the biomass allocation of an individual plant and that of all components of annual <i>P. yunnanensis</i>. In addition, the synchronized allocation between main roots and lateral branches, as well as between main stems and lateral roots, suggested functional integration between corresponding belowground and aboveground structures to maintain balanced resource acquisition and architectural stability. At the same time, it has been proved that the growth of lateral roots can be accelerated through decapitation. Important scientific implications for annual <i>P. yunnanensis</i> management were derived from these shading experiments on allometric growth. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9f6c73d81ddd4cba8a288219285a67d9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj-art-9f6c73d81ddd4cba8a288219285a67d92025-08-20T04:00:55ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-07-011415225110.3390/plants14152251Allometric Growth of Annual <i>Pinus yunnanensis</i> After Decapitation Under Different Shading LevelsPengrui Wang0Chiyu Zhou1Boning Yang2Jiangfei Li3Yulan Xu4Nianhui Cai5The Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650233, ChinaThe Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650233, ChinaThe Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650233, ChinaThe Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650233, ChinaThe Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650233, ChinaThe Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650233, China<i>Pinus yunnanensis</i>, a native tree species in southwest China, is shading-tolerant and ecologically significant. Light has a critical impact on plant physiology, and decapitation improves canopy light penetration and utilization efficiency. The study of allometric relationships is well-known in forestry, forest ecology, and related fields. Under control (full daylight exposure, 0% shading), L1 (partial shading, 25% shading), L2 (medium shading, 50% shading), and L3 (serious shading, 75% shading) levels, this study used the decapitation method. The results confirmed the effectiveness of decapitation in annual <i>P. yunnanensis</i> and showed that the main stem maintained isometric growth in all shading treatments, accounting for 26.8% of the individual plant biomass, and exhibited dominance in biomass allocation and high shading sensitivity. These results also showed that lateral roots exhibited a substantial biomass proportion of 12.8% and maintained more than 0.5 of higher plasticity indices across most treatments. Moreover, the lateral root exhibited both the lowest slope in 0.5817 and the highest significance (<i>p</i> = 0.023), transitioning from isometric to allometric growth under L1 shading treatment. Importantly, there was a positive correlation between the biomass allocation of an individual plant and that of all components of annual <i>P. yunnanensis</i>. In addition, the synchronized allocation between main roots and lateral branches, as well as between main stems and lateral roots, suggested functional integration between corresponding belowground and aboveground structures to maintain balanced resource acquisition and architectural stability. At the same time, it has been proved that the growth of lateral roots can be accelerated through decapitation. Important scientific implications for annual <i>P. yunnanensis</i> management were derived from these shading experiments on allometric growth.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/15/2251<i>Pinus yunnanensis</i>photosynthesisgenetic factorsgrowth characteristics |
| spellingShingle | Pengrui Wang Chiyu Zhou Boning Yang Jiangfei Li Yulan Xu Nianhui Cai Allometric Growth of Annual <i>Pinus yunnanensis</i> After Decapitation Under Different Shading Levels Plants <i>Pinus yunnanensis</i> photosynthesis genetic factors growth characteristics |
| title | Allometric Growth of Annual <i>Pinus yunnanensis</i> After Decapitation Under Different Shading Levels |
| title_full | Allometric Growth of Annual <i>Pinus yunnanensis</i> After Decapitation Under Different Shading Levels |
| title_fullStr | Allometric Growth of Annual <i>Pinus yunnanensis</i> After Decapitation Under Different Shading Levels |
| title_full_unstemmed | Allometric Growth of Annual <i>Pinus yunnanensis</i> After Decapitation Under Different Shading Levels |
| title_short | Allometric Growth of Annual <i>Pinus yunnanensis</i> After Decapitation Under Different Shading Levels |
| title_sort | allometric growth of annual i pinus yunnanensis i after decapitation under different shading levels |
| topic | <i>Pinus yunnanensis</i> photosynthesis genetic factors growth characteristics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/15/2251 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pengruiwang allometricgrowthofannualipinusyunnanensisiafterdecapitationunderdifferentshadinglevels AT chiyuzhou allometricgrowthofannualipinusyunnanensisiafterdecapitationunderdifferentshadinglevels AT boningyang allometricgrowthofannualipinusyunnanensisiafterdecapitationunderdifferentshadinglevels AT jiangfeili allometricgrowthofannualipinusyunnanensisiafterdecapitationunderdifferentshadinglevels AT yulanxu allometricgrowthofannualipinusyunnanensisiafterdecapitationunderdifferentshadinglevels AT nianhuicai allometricgrowthofannualipinusyunnanensisiafterdecapitationunderdifferentshadinglevels |