CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Plants show different morphologies when growing in different habitats, but they also vary in their morphology with plant size. We tested for differences in sun- and shade-grown plants of the bromeliad Aechmea distichantha with respect to relationships between plant size and variables related to plant architecture, biomass allocation, and tank water dynamics. In a Chaco forest, we selected vegetative plants encompassing the whole size range of this bromeliad, from the understorey and forest edges. Plant biomass was positively correlated with most architectural variables and negatively correlated with most biomass allocation variables. Understorey plants were taller and had larger diameters, whereas sun plants had more leaves, larger sheath area, sheath biomass and sheath mass fraction. All tank water-related variables were positively correlated with plant biomass. Understorey plants had a greater projected leaf area, whereas sun plants had higher water content and evaporative area. Plasticity indices were higher for water-related than for allocation variables. In conclusion, there were architectural and biomass allocation differences between sun- and shade-grown plants along a size gradient which, in turn, affected tank water-related variables.

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