Week 1: Classical Plant Analysis (10/27)

Curve of TDW over plant lifetime: what are the different growth patterns?

Exponential growth: constant relative growth rate (RGR) for young plants

Linear growth: no longer a RGR (begins decreasing), but a constant growth rate (GR) at closed canopy, or nearly maximum light interception

Declining growth: season ending and decreasing GR/RGR

When is there exponential growth?

3 methods:

1. There is a constant relative growth rate

2. There is a constant percentual increase in weight over time

3. There is a constant increase in ln(W) over time

(slide 13)

RGR

Relative growth rate

NAR

Net assimilation rate

LAR

Leaf area ratio, A/W, the leaf area (cm²) divided by total plant dry weight (g)

SLA

Specific leaf area, A/W_L, the leaf area (cm²) divided by leaf dry weight (g)

High SLA means thinner leaves, lower means thicker

LWR

Leaf weight ratio, W_L/W, the leaf dry weight (g) divided by plant dry weight (g)

What is LAR equal to?

LAR = SLA x LWR

What is RGR equal to?

NAR x LAR