Why does not the leaf weight-area allometry of bamboos follow the 3/2-power law?

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dc.contributor.authorLin, Shuyanen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorShao, Lijuanen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorHui, Cangen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorSong, Yuen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorReddy, Gadi V. P.en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorGielis, Johanen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorLi, Fangen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorDing, Yulongen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorWei, Qiangen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorShi, Peijianen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2020-04-08T14:28:14Z
dc.date.available2020-04-08T14:28:14Z
dc.date.issued2018
dc.descriptionCITATION: Lin, S., et al. 2018. Why does not the leaf weight-area allometry of bamboos follow the 3/2-power law?. Frontiers in Plant Science, 9:583, doi:10.3389/fpls.2018.00583
dc.descriptionThe original publication is available at https://www.frontiersin.org
dc.description.abstractThe principle of similarity (Thompson, 1917) states that the weight of an organism follows the 3/2-power law of its surface area and is proportional to its volume on the condition that the density is constant. However, the allometric relationship between leaf weight and leaf area has been reported to greatly deviate from the 3/2-power law, with the irregularity of leaf density largely ignored for explaining this deviation. Here, we choose 11 bamboo species to explore the allometric relationships among leaf area (A), density (ρ), length (L), thickness (T), and weight (W). Because the edge of a bamboo leaf follows a simplified two-parameter Gielis equation, we could show that A ∝ L2 and that A ∝ T2. This then allowed us to derive the density-thickness allometry ρ ∝ Tb and the weight-area allometry W ∝ A(b+3)/2 ≈ A9/8, where b approximates −3/4. Leaf density is strikingly negatively associated with leaf thickness, and it is this inverse relationship that results in the weight-area allometry to deviate from the 3/2-power law. In conclusion, although plants are prone to invest less dry mass and thus produce thinner leaves when the leaf area is sufficient for photosynthesis, such leaf thinning needs to be accompanied with elevated density to ensure structural stability. The findings provide the insights on the evolutionary clue about the biomass investment and output of photosynthetic organs of plants. Because of the importance of leaves, plants could have enhanced the ratio of dry material per unit area of leaf in order to increase the efficiency of photosynthesis, relative the other parts of plants. Although the conclusion is drawn only based on 11 bamboo species, it should also be applicable to the other plants, especially considering previous works on the exponent of the weight-area relationship being less than 3/2 in plants.en_ZA
dc.description.urihttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2018.00583/full
dc.description.versionPublisher's version
dc.format.extent9 pages
dc.identifier.citationLin, S., et al. 2018. Why does not the leaf weight-area allometry of bamboos follow the 3/2-power law?. Frontiers in Plant Science, 9:583, doi: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00583
dc.identifier.issn1664-462X (online)
dc.identifier.otherdoi: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00583
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/107672
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherFrontiers Media
dc.rights.holderAuthors retain copyright
dc.subjectAllometryen_ZA
dc.subjectBamboo leaves -- Weighten_ZA
dc.subjectLeaves -- Growth -- Mathematical modelsen_ZA
dc.subjectPrinciple of similarityen_ZA
dc.subjectLeaves -- Densityen_ZA
dc.subjectPhotosynthesisen_ZA
dc.titleWhy does not the leaf weight-area allometry of bamboos follow the 3/2-power law?en_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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