The branch autonomy principle states that the critical characteristics of a branch's carbohydrate economy (photosynthesis, respiration, growth, etc.) are largely independent of the tree to which the branch is attached, as long as light is the primary factor limiting photosynthesis and growth. However, this may not be generally true because in the spring, photosynthates are translocated from a tree stem into branches, and the amount of photosynthate available for translocation should be a function of the tree's canopy status. And the correlative inhibition principle states that a branch's priority for allocation of carbon and other resources is controlled not only by its own environment, but also by its position relative to other branches on the same tree. A study of the lower limit of branch growth and survival in trees of different sizes shows that the latter principle is more important: even though dominant trees have more resources to allocate, branches on suppressed trees are able to grow and produce new foliage at solar irradiances where branches on dominant trees die. Thus branches are sufficiently interdependent that a positive carbon budget by itself does not ensure branch survival; branch position relative to other branches on the same tree is also important. Other findings indicate that this result is quite general: regardless of the stress involved, a stressed branch on a tree where all other branches are also stressed does better than a similarly stressed branch on a tree where some branches are relatively unstressed. Although branch autonomy is an important and useful principle, it is not an absolute rule governing branch growth.

/pdf/when-branch-autonomy-fails-milton-s-law-of-resource-2pnpihjss5.pdf

When branch autonomy fails: Milton's Law of resource availability and allocation.

Night temperature has a minimal effect on respiration and growth in rapidly growing plants.

https://fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/journals/pnw_2007_weiskittel002.pdf

Response of branch growth and mortality to silvicultural treatments in coastal Douglas-fir plantations: implications for predicting tree growth.

In Central Europe, Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies represent contrasting extremes in foliage type, crown structure and length of growing season. In order to examine the competitive strategies of these two co-occurring species, we tested the following hypotheses: (1) the space occupied by the foliage of sun branches is characterized by greater foliar mass investment compared to shade branches, (2) the carbon (C) gain per unit of occupied space is greater in sun than in shade branches, and (3) annual C and water costs of the foliage for sustaining the occupied space are low, wherever C gain per unit of occupied space is low. These were investigated in a mature forest in Southern Germany. The examination was based on the annual assessment of space-related resource investments and gains of the foliage. The foliated space around branches was regarded as the relevant volume with respect to aboveground resource availability. Occupied crown space per standing foliage mass was higher in shade compared to sun branches of beech, whereas no difference existed in crown volume per foliage mass between sun and shade branches of spruce (hypothesis 1 accepted for beech but rejected for spruce). However, beech occupied more space per foliage mass than spruce. The C gain per occupied crown volume was greater in sun than in shade branches (hypothesis 2 accepted) but did not differ between species. The amount of occupied space per respiratory and transpiratory costs did not differ between species or between sun and shade branches. In beech and spruce, the proportion of foliage investment in the annual C balance of sun and shade branches remained rather stable, whereas respiratory costs distinctly increased in shade foliage. Hence, shade branches were costly structures to occupy space, achieving only low and even negative C balances (rejection of hypothesis 3), which conflicts with the claimed C autonomy of branches. Our findings suggest that competitiveness is determined by the standing foliage mass and the annual branch volume increment rather than annual investments in foliage. Expressing competitiveness in terms of space-related resource investments versus returns, as demonstrated here, has the potential of promoting mechanistic understanding of plant–plant interactions.

Competitive strategies in adult beech and spruce: space-related foliar carbon investment versus carbon gain

Les objectifs de cette etude etaient 1) d'estimer la photosynthese a l'echelle de la couronne, puis a l'echelle de l'arbre a partir de mesures foliaires, 2) de determiner la proportion du carbone assimile utilisee pour la construction de bois et sa variation en fonction du statut social de l'arbre, 3) de valider l'estimation de l'assimilation en la comparant a une mesure independante (technique des correlations turbulentes, EC). Les mesures (croissance et echanges gazeux) ont ete effectuees pendant la saison de vegetation 1997 sur cinq hetres de 30 ans de statuts sociaux differents (dominant, codominant et domine). Une relation non lineaire entre l'assimilation nette de CO 2 et le rayonnement photosynthetiquement actif (PAR) a ete etablie pour chaque arbre echantillon. L'assimilation nette de CO 2 a l'echelle de la couronne a ensuite ete estimee pour une periode sans stress hydrique. L'estimation de l'assimilation brute a l'echelle du peuplement a partir de mesures foliaires est en bon accord avec des mesures effectuees a l'echelle du peuplement par EC.

/pdf/carbon-balance-and-tree-growth-in-a-fagus-sylvatica-stand-2l9xjgeoqh.pdf

Carbon balance and tree growth in a Fagus sylvatica stand

A cost-benefit approach was developed to analyze the carbon budget of the lowest Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) branches subject to abscission. In addition to within-branch growth and respiratory costs, the budget included an estimation of a branch's share of the maintenance respiration of the stem and root. A branch was considered productive if the budget was positive. Foliar gas exchange and woody-tissue respiration were non-destructively measured at monthly intervals during the growing season on the six lowest branches of 10-year-old Scots pine trees, to the moment when the branches died naturally. Photosynthetic light response and temperature response of respiration, together with measurements of canopy light conditions and meteorological data, were used to calculate seasonal carbon budgets for the branches. Maintenance respiration of stems and roots was estimated from published data. All but one of the branches studied were found to be nonproductive over the growing season. Following a decrease in photosynthetic capacity in July, the cumulative budget became negative and the branches died, indicating that a negative carbon budget corresponds with the onset of abscission of the lowest branches.

Gas exchange of the lowest branches of young Scots pine: a cost–benefit analysis of seasonal branch carbon budget

Increasing concern over the possible effect of air pollution on European forest ecosystems is very noticeable (for literature review see Schulze et al. 1989). The area of severe forest decline due to pollution was estimated to be less than 0.5% of the European forest area and was thus considered not to have had much impact on the forest resources of the continent (Kauppi et al. 1992). However, in the area of forest decline a decrease in growing stock and permanent deforestation is occurring. This decreases the carbon (C) storage in forest ecosystemsand causes CO2 release into the atmosphere.

The carbon pulse resulting from forest dieback related to insect outbreaks: case study of a forest district in the Sudety Mountains (southwest Poland)

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Gas exchange of the lowest branches of young Scots pine: a cost–benefit analysis of seasonal branch carbon budget

The carbon pulse resulting from forest dieback related to insect outbreaks: case study of a forest district in the Sudety Mountains (southwest Poland)