Correlation between Height: Diameter ratio and shoot growth in containerised and bare-root seedlings of Cryptomeria japonica

Tsutomu Yagihashi, Tomoki Nakaya, Kenichi Nakahara, Shun Nasuno, Gaku Hitsuma, Mahoko Noguchi, Takanobu Yagi, Tomoyuki Saitoh, Kazuma Matsumoto, Takeshi Yamada, Yukihito Ochiai

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Previous studies revealed that in terms of the stem height growth, containerised seedlings with an average height: diameter ratio (HDR) of ca. 60 are superior to conventional bare-root seedlings and containerised seedlings with an average HDR of ca. 100 are inferior to conventional bare-root seedlings. In this study, we focused on the correlation between the stem growth and HDR in individual seedlings. We measured the stem growth of 2-year-old containerised seedlings and 3-year-old conventional bare-root seedlings for four growth seasons. In each of the growth seasons, HDR showed a negative correlation with stem height growth rate and a positive correlation with the stem radial growth rate of an individual seedling; the strongest correlation was observed in the first and second growth seasons. Therefore, the seedling with a high HDR allocated resources to stem radial growth rather than to height growth. Regarding the stem height growth, we analysed the sequential data for four growth seasons using a linear mixed effects model. HDR showed a negative correlation with the stem height growth. In conclusion, high HDR had negative effects on not only the relative height growth rate but also on the actual height growth.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)139-145
Number of pages7
JournalNihon Ringakkai Shi/Journal of the Japanese Forestry Society
Volume98
Issue number4
Publication statusPublished - 2016 Jan 1
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Containerised seedling
  • Height growth
  • Height: diameter ratio
  • Radial growth
  • Relative growth rate

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Forestry

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