Proccedings: IUFRO Kanazawa 2003 "Forest Insect Population Dynamics and Host Influences” - 53 - Leaf Longevity and Defense Characteristics in Trees of Betulaceae Takayoshi KOIKE Hokkaido University Forests, FSC, Sapporo 060-0809, JAPAN Sawako MATSUKI, Dongsu CHOI Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8589, JAPAN Takeshi MATSUMOTO Hokkaido University Forests, FSC, Sapporo 060-0809, JAPAN Present address: Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI), Shikoku Research Center 780-8077, JAPAN Yasuaki SAKAMOTO, Yutaka MARUYAMA Hokkaido Research Center, FFPRI, Sapporo 062-8516, JAPAN Abstract- To make baseline data for the maintenance of forest Betulaceae trees and their defense characteristics? It is health, net photosynthesis, leaf carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio, expected that trees with a long leaf lifespan may have a toughness, existence of trichomes, and chemical defense traits higher defense capacity but a relatively lower photosynthetic were studied in trees of 18 Betulaceae species. These included rate. five species (Alnus glutinos, A. incana, A. sibirica, Betula In general, contents of defense chemicals are not only pendula, and B. verrucosa) originating from the Eurasian continent. The amount of total phenolics showed a positive affected by soil fertility, but also by the growth phase of the correlation with C/N ratio. Leaf longevity correlated negatively plant life cycle [6,7]. The defense characteristics of plants with the amount of total phenolics. Except for Betula change as the seasons progress and with the effect of grazing platyphylla, two Carpinus and Corylus heterophylla, there was a of herbivores. However, these characteristics are strongly positive correlation between the amount of condensed tannin dependent on species-specific traits [8]. Therefore, as and leaf longevity. A weak negative correlation was found baseline data for keeping vital and healthy forests dominated between leaf lifespan and LMA (leaf mass per area). No by Betulaceae species in northern Japan, the ecological role relation between the existence of trichomes and leaf longevity of defense characteristics of the representative tree species was found. Successional traits of 18 Betulaceae species and leaf should be researched. defense are discussed based on relations of the C/N ratio of leaves and adaptive radiation in the family. To achieve this, we examined leaf defense characteristics of 18 successional Betulaceae species in relation to the carbon/ nitrogen (C/N) in leaves and adaptive radiation in the Betulaceae family. I. Introduction Betulaceae trees are a common species in secondary II. Materials and Methods forests in northern Japan. These species show several successional traits, i.e. early-, mid- (or gap phase), and late- A. Plant materials successional characteristics. Research has been conducted All species were young stage trees and ca. 25-years old into phylogeny constraints of the pattern of leaf survival and (B. davurica was 15-years old as of 2002), grown at the structure of winter buds [1]. There are several studies on the Hitsujigaoka Experimental Forest of FFPRI (Sapporo; growth characteristics of Betulaceae, although their defense 42o58’N, 141o23’E, 146 m a.s.l.). Sample leaves, with a leaf traits have not been researched [2]. age of 60-80 days, were collected from the sun crown (mid Several alders and birches were imported from western Aug, 2000). Early successional species: Alnus hirsuta, A. Eurasian regions, especially from northern Europe, for inokumae (=A. hirsuta var. microphylla), A. japonica, A. breeding [3]. Some of these are resistant to insect herbivores, maximowiczii, Betula ermanii, B. obovata (=B. tatewakiana; but others are susceptible. In general, tree species with a shrub), and B. platyphylla var. japonica are native to short leaf lifespan seem to have a lower defense capacity Hokkaido, Japan. Five species (Alnus glutinos, A. incana, A. against insect herbivores while trees with a long leaf lifespan sibirica, Betula pendula, and B. verrucosa = B. pubescenns) have a higher defense capacity [4]. originated from the Eurasian continent (northern Europe). Based on field observations [5], alder is a typical pioneer Mid successional species: Betula davurica, B. and its leaves are grazed annually by leaf beetles (Agelastica maximowicziana, Ostrya japonica, Corylus heterophylla var. coerulea). Leaf grazing, however, rarely kills these trees. In thunbergii (shrub), and late successional species: Carpinus contrast, even though from the same family of Betulaceae, cordata and C. laxiflora originated in Hokkaido. All Alnus leaves of Ostrya japonica (gap phase species) are hardly species have symbiotic microorganisms (Frankia sp.) in grazed by insect herbivores. Why is there a difference in the their roots, which fix nitrogen directly from the air. susceptibility to insect herbivores among tree species of Betulaceae? Is there a relationship between leaf longevity of Proccedings: IUFRO Kanazawa 2003 "Forest Insect Population Dynamics and Host Influences” - 54 - B. Measurement of light-saturated photosynthetic rate of condensed tannin was found, with the exception of B. platyphylla, which had an extremely high value of The light-saturated photosynthetic rate of early and late condensed tannin irrespective of an intermediate value of leaves for experimental trees was determined. We used a C/N ratio (data not shown). Except for three alders (Alnus portable system for the measurement of photosynthetic rates japonica, A. glutinosa, A. maximowiczii), there was a (LI-6400, Li-Cor, NE, USA) at a light saturation of 1500μ positive relation between C/N ratio and the amount of total -2 -1 molm s and a leaf temperature of 25 ℃ , with CO2 phenolics (Fig 4). concentration of 350ppmV. Leaf longevity correlated weak but positively with C/N ratio of leaves, but it correlated negatively with LMA (Fig 5). C. Measurement of defensive characteristics of leaves Is there any relation between leaf longevity and defense After the photosynthesis measurement, the leaves were chemicals? With the exception of four species (B. immediately freeze-dried (FLEXI-DRY, FTS Systems, USA) platyphylla, C. cordata, C. laxiflora and Corylus and mill-ground (TM10, Tescom, Japan) down to powder. heterophylla), the leaf longevity correlated positively with The concentration of total phenolics in 20mg leaf powder the amount of condensed tannin (Fig.6). By contrast, leaf was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method [8]. The longevity correlated negatively with the amount of total concentration of condensed tannin was determined using the phenolics. proanthocyanidin method [9]. The remaining sample leaves were used for the measurement of carbon and nitrogen ) 1 - 20 content by a N/C analyzer (NC-900, Shimadzu, Kyoto) after s 2 o - being dried at 60 C for 48 hours. We also measured the m ･ l Be toughness of fresh leaves using a push-pull gauge (CPU o 15 Bp gauge, AIKOH, Japan). One leaf was used from each tree. m Ag Bv µ Bd ( Ah Toughness was measured at three points on each leaf, and e t Bm As a r the mean value of the three measurements was adopted for 10 Am Aj c Ch i that leaf. Trichomes on the upper surfaces of the leaves were t Oj e Cc h observed by SEM (scanning electron microscope; Shimadzu, t n Cl y Kyoto, Japan). s 5 o t o h p III. Results t e 0 A .Photosynthetic characteristics N 024 Nitrogen concentration (g･m-2) Except in several alders, there was a strong positive correlation between net photosynthetic rate per area (Pn) and nitrogen content per area. Alders (Alnus japonica) had high nitrogen but low Pn (Fig. 1). There was a weak negative Fig. 1. Leaf nitrogen content and light saturated photosynthetic correlation between leaf lifespan and net photosynthetic rate rate Circles and squares indicate Japanese and Eurasian origins, respectively. The same as in the following figures. (Data not shown). B. Defense traits 2.5 A clear positive correlation was found between leaf mass 2.0 Bv Ah per area (LMA) and leaf toughness (Fig. 2). There was no Am Ch clear tendency in the relationship between LMA and leaf 1.5 Bpa Be toughness among tree species. Tree species originating from Bo As Bm Bd high mountain areas or high latitude regions had a high 1.0 Aj Bpa value of LMA and toughness. No relationship between Ai growth traits and the existence of trichome was found. Most Oj Ahm Leaf toughness (N) 0.5 alders have a high density of trichomes on the abaxial side, especially along leaf veins. Most species, e.g. alders, some 0.0 birches and Carpinus had rather thick trichome along the 051015 veins (Fig. 3). By contrast, most birch had very few Leaf mass per area (mg･cm-2) trichomes on the abaxial side of the leaf, except for B. (LMA) maximowicziana seedlings. B. maximowicziana seedlings and young trees had thick trichomes on both adaxial and abaxial sides in early and late leaves, but in older trees and Fig. 2. A positive correlation between LMA and leaf toughness. adult trees there were almost no trichomes (data not shown). No relationship between C/N ratio and the concentration Proccedings: IUFRO Kanazawa 2003 "Forest Insect Population Dynamics and Host Influences” - 55 - 250 ) Aj -1 g 200 ･ Ahm Ag 150 Cl Ai Be 100 Bp Am Bpa Ch As Bm Cc 50 Bo Bv Bd Alnus hirsuta Betula pendula Total phenolics (mg 0 10 20 30 Fig. 3. Examples of C/N ratio of leaves trichomes on the abaxial side of leaves. Fig. 4. Relationship between C/N ratio and the amount of total phenolics. Trichomes occur along leaf veins. Alnus sibirica 250 250 ) s 200 200 y a d ( y 150 150 t i v e g 100 100 n o l f 50 50 a e L 0 0 10 15 20 25 30 0 5 10 15 C/N ratio of leaves Leaf mass per area (mg･cm-2) Fig. 5. Relationship between leaf longevity and C/N ratio or LMA ) 1 --1 ) 250 40 1 g g - ･ ･ g g ･ Bp g 200 Aj m ( 30 m ( n i s 150 n c i n l a 20 o t Ah n Cl 100 d e e h s p n 10 Cc l 50 e a d t n o Ch Cl o T 0 0 CCondensed tannin (mg 0 100 200 300 0 100 200 300 Leaf longevity (days) Leaf longevity (days) Fig.