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Leaf Size and Environment
Name: tania
Status: student
Grade: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
Is there a trend with the size of plant leaves and the
environment they are found such as amount of sunlight?
What variables are involved?
Replies:
Usually plants/trees have a particular, given range of leaf size for a
particular species, so there would be an expected mean/average, and minimum
and maximum values for leaf blade length, width, length/width ratio
(related to leaf shape), and leaf area for the particular species, but also
some variation depending upon climate, soil, age, and disturbance.
Here is an example article about variation in leaf size in response to
increased sunlight, i.e., canopy gaps:
http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-abstract&issn=0012-9658&volume=075&issue=08&page=2318
Anthony R. Brach, Ph.D.
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Update: June 2012
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