Biomass allocation patterns and allometric relationships between components of the androdioecious Acer tegmentosum

We present comparisons about biomass allocation between males and hermaphrodites of androdioecious Acer tegmentosum Maxim. Different biomass allocation patterns were found, and males were shown to have a larger investment into coarse roots and foliage.

Abstract

Sexual dimorphism in differences of reproductive costs between genders has been widely reported for trees, but we still know little about allometric relationships between tree components in both genders. We present biomass allocation patterns and relationships between components of the androdioecious A. tegmentosum in a broad-leaved mixed forest in northeastern China. The objectives of this study were to examine how gender affects the biomass structure of androdioecious species and how the gender-related reproductive efforts affect the allometric relationships. We harvested 31 hermaphrodite and 29 male A. tegmentosum trees and opted for diameter at breast height, tree height, and crown length as the independent variables and various biomass components as the dependent variables. Five types of function were used to model allometry equations. Biomass allocation between genders was different, and the best biomass model for each biomass component varies between genders. Males have a higher investment in foliage and coarse root biomass than hermaphrodites, and hermaphrodites invested more in reproduction than males. Biomass equations are strongly gender-related. Males tended to invest a larger fraction of the vegetative biomass into leaves and coarse roots.