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Variation in evergreen and deciduous species leaf phenology in Assam, India

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Abstract

In the present study phenological activities such as leaf and shoot growth, leaf pool size and leaf fall were observed for 3 years (March 2007–March 2010) in 19 tree species (13 evergreen and 6 deciduous species) in a wet tropical forest in Assam, India. The study area receives total annual average rainfall of 2,318 mm of which most rain fall (>70 %) occurs during June–September. Both the plant groups varied significantly on most of the shoot and leaf phenology parameters. In general, growth in deciduous species initiated before the evergreen species and showed a rapid shoot growth, leaf recruitment and leaf expansion compared to evergreen species. Leaf recruitment period was significantly different between evergreen (4.2 months) and deciduous species (6.8 months). Shoot elongation rate was also significantly different for evergreen and deciduous species (0.09 vs. 0.14 cm day−1 shoot−1). Leaf number per shoot was greater for deciduous species than for evergreen species (34 vs. 16 leaves). The average leaf life span of evergreen species (328 ± 32 days) was significantly greater than that of deciduous species (205 ± 16 days). The leaf fall in deciduous species was concentrated during the winter season (Nov–Feb), whereas evergreens retained their leaves until the next growing season. Although the climate of the study area supports evergreen forests, the strategies of the deciduous species such as faster leaf recruitment rate, longer leaf recruitment time, faster shoot elongation rate during favorable growing season and short leaf life span perhaps allows them to coexist with evergreen species that have the liberty to photosynthesize round the year. Variations in phenological strategies perhaps help to reduce the competition among evergreen and deciduous species for resources in these forests and enable the coexistence of both the groups.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to Dr. GCS Negi for reading the first draft of the manuscript. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Assam University, Silchar, 788011, India

    Athokpam Florida Devi

  2. School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India

    S. C. Garkoti

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  1. Athokpam Florida Devi
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  2. S. C. Garkoti
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Correspondence to S. C. Garkoti.

Additional information

Communicated by E. Beck.

Appendices

Appendix 1

See Table 4.

Table 4 Pearson bivariate correlation between weather condition and leaf phenology (new leaf no. and leaf pool changes per shoot) of the evergreen and deciduous species
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Appendix 2

See Table 5.

Table 5 Leaf fall pattern of the studied evergreen and deciduous species, with their leaf life-span
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Devi, A.F., Garkoti, S.C. Variation in evergreen and deciduous species leaf phenology in Assam, India. Trees 27, 985–997 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-013-0850-8

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