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Ecophysiological Constraints on the Distribution of Piper Species

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Tropical Forest Plant Ecophysiology

Abstract

In the shade, light strongly limits to plant growth and successful species typically possess features that increase both the capture and conservation of light energy. In the sun, light is often non- or co-limiting for growth and successful species often possess traits that enable the dissipation of light energy and the partitioning of resources to enhance the capture of other limiting resources. At least in concept, it is unclear why phenotypic plasticity cannot allow all plants to acclimate to any resource level(s). At a fundamental level, the answer must be that phenotypic plasticity has limits. Such limits could affect individual traits. Alternatively, the real limitation to phenotypic plasticity may reside in the difficulty of successfully orchestrating the large number of phenological, morphological, and physiological changes necessary for success in environments representing extremes in resource availability.

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Authors
  1. Arthur L. Fredeen
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  2. Christopher B. Field
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Missouri, St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Stephen S. Mulkey

  2. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA

    Robin L. Chazdon

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Fredeen, A.L., Field, C.B. (1996). Ecophysiological Constraints on the Distribution of Piper Species. In: Mulkey, S.S., Chazdon, R.L., Smith, A.P. (eds) Tropical Forest Plant Ecophysiology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1163-8_20

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