Plasticity of leaf functional traits and growth responses to disturbance among cutting cultivars of Cryptomeria japonica in southern Japan

• DOI: 10.1080/13416979.2024.2384191
• Publication Date: 2024-07-29T06:29:49Z
• Authors: Tsutomu Enoki; Christmas Uchiyama; Masahiro Takagi; Shin Ugawa; Eri Nabeshima; Hiroaki Ishii
• Keywords: Cryptomeria; Ecotype; Specific leaf area

Cryptomeria japonica (Thunb. ex L. f.) D. Don is the most major plantation species in Japan, and cultivars have been developed planted under variable environmental conditions across country. Productivity of clonal plantations influenced by ability genotype to acclimate edaphic- geographic-scale variation disturbance regimes. Because all individuals are genetically identical a plantation, trait differences among represent phenotypic plasticity. Here, we investigated how plasticity response vary cutting C. japonica. We compared tree height, leaf morphology, nitrogen content, frequency/intensity growth-release observed rings after thinning six 45-year-old provenance trials south-western Japan. Nitrogen use efficiency was higher site where maximum height (Hmax) taller, while shoot mass per area (SMA) larger Hmax shorter. Cultivars that grew well had high content (NG) showed more efficient with nitrogen-resorption (NRE). Yabukuguri, an intermediate-growth cultivar, characterized large SMA greater topographical regional variation, as intensity tree-ring series indicating growth resilience following disturbance. Our results provide guidelines for selecting acclimation potential perturbation, which important sustaining forests uncertain expected future climate change.