Table 1.
Species differences in foliar traits measured under non-limiting water conditions
| Nassella pulchra | Koelaria macrantha | Elymus glaucus | Elymus elymoides | Festuca idahoensis | Melica californica | Poa secunda | Poa bulbosa | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLA (m2 kg–1) | Autumn | 14·49 ± 1·09b | 19·73 ± 1·05a | 23·76 ± 1·05a | 22·83 ± 1·14a | 12·72 ± 1·05b | 19·75 ± 1·05a | 36·42 ± 2·19c | 22·74 ± 1·14a |
| Spring | 21·51 ± 1·13a | 20·15 ± 1·08a | 24·87 ± 1·08ab | 20·87 ± 1·08a | 8·3 ± 1·08c | 27·75 ± 1·08b | 36·78 ± 1·13d | 9·69 ± 1·13c | |
| LDMC (mg g–1) | Autumn | 348·31 ± 18·22 n.s. | 302·75 ± 16·32 n.s. | 317·18 ± 16·7 n.s. | 291·03 ± 17·39 n.s. | 293·04 ± 16·05 n.s. | 302·37 ± 16·3 n.s. | 245·13 ± 30·57 n.s. | 293·3 ± 17·46 n.s. |
| Spring | 298·57 ± 8·55d | 267·34 ± 8·22abd | 258·81 ± 8·22ab | 255·43 ± 8·22a | 143·76 ± 8·22c | 293·61 ± 8·22bd | 242·28 ± 8·55a | 147·97 ± 8·55c | |
| Emaxleaf (cm d–1) | Autumn | 0·68 ± 0·04b | 0·58 ± 0·04b | 1·5 ± 0·11a | 2·03 ± 0·13a | 0·77 ± 0·05b | 1·06 ± 0·07c | – | 0·71 ± 0·05b |
| winter | 0·3 ± 0·03a | 0·34 ± 0·03ab | 0·47 ± 0·04bc | 0·39 ± 0·04ab | 0·28 ± 0·03a | 0·3 ± 0·03a | 0·7 ± 0·07c | 0·37 ± 0·04ab | |
| spring | 0·63 ± 0·04 n.s. | 0·71 ± 0·05 n.s. | 0·73 ± 0·05 n.s. | 0·75 ± 0·05 n.s. | 0·72 ± 0·05 n.s. | 0·8 ± 0·05 n.s. | 0·82 ± 0·06 n.s. | 0·81 ± 0·06 n.s. | |
| APP (mg d–1) | Autumn | 13·5 ± 1·98d | 14·16 ± 2·08d | 4·1 ± 0·6ab | 1·09 ± 0·16c | 2·61 ± 0·38a | 7·19 ± 1·06b | – | 0·55 ± 0·08e |
| Winter | 6·4 ± 0·79a | 5·24 ± 0·65a | 5·4 ± 0·67a | 3·83 ± 0·47a | 4·26 ± 0·53a | 3·7 ± 0·48a | 6 ± 2·68a | 4·87 ± 0·63a | |
| Spring | 5·34 ± 0·36ab | 10·66 ± 0·71c | 6·88 ± 0·46a | 5·23 ± 0·35ab | 9·34 ± 0·63c | 4·78 ± 0·32b | 12·19 ± 0·85c | 10·03 ± 0·7c | |
| Growing season | 7·96 ± 0·49cd | 10·28 ± 0·63d | 6·05 ± 0·37a | 4·03 ± 0·25a | 6·95 ± 0·43bc | 5·51 ± 0·35b | – | 5·7 ± 0·36b | |
| Flowers (Julian days) | First | 98·09 ± 3·01c | 155 ± 3·78b | 118·77 ± 3·31a | 119·21 ± 3·32a | 146·03 ± 3·67b | 101·34 ± 3·06c | 94·94 ± 3·08c | 66·07 ± 2·57d |
| 50 % | 107·8 ± 1·83c | 155 ± 2·19b | 139·15 ± 2·08a | 132·81 ± 2·03a | 155 ± 2·19b | 110·39 ± 1·85c | 105·06 ± 1·88c | 71·15 ± 1·55d |
Values are marginal means ± s.e.; letters indicate significant differences as determined by Tukey’s post-hoc tests.
SLA, specific leaf area; LDMC, leaf dry matter content; Emaxleaf, maximum leaf elongation rate; APP, aerial productivity potential.