Interacting influence of light and size on aboveground biomass distribution in sub-boreal conifer saplings with contrasting shade tolerance

Plant size often influences shade tolerance but relatively few studies have considered the functional response of taller plants to contrasting light environments. Several boreal and sub-boreal Abies, Picea and Pinus species were studied along a light (0-90% full sunlight) and size (30-400-cm high) gradient to examine the interactive influence of tree size and light availability on aboveground biomass distribution. Sampling was conducted in two regions of Canada: (A) British Columbia, for Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt., the Picea glauca (Moench.) Voss x R engelmannii Parry ex. Engelm. complex and Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm.; and (B) Quebec, for Abies balsamea (L.) Mill., Picea glauca (Moench. Voss) and Pinus banksiana (Lamb.). All biomass distribution traits investigated varied with size, and most showed a significant interaction with both size and light, which resulted in increasing divergences among light classes as size increased. For example, the proportion of needle mass decreased as size increased but the rate of decrease was much greater in saplings growing at below 10% full sunlight. Needle area ratio (total needle area: aboveground mass) followed a similar pattern, but decreased more rapidly with increasing tree size for small trees up to I m tall. The proportion of needle biomass (needle mass ratio) was always lower in taller trees (i.e., > 1 m tall) than in small trees (< 1 m tall) and increasingly so at the lowest solar irradiances (0-10% full sunlight). Thus, extrapolating the functional response to light from small seedlin- to taller individuals is not always appropriate.