Resource Trade-off in Cotinus coggygria Seedlings under Drought Conditions – Phenotypic Plasticity of Leaf and Fine Root Functional Traits

A field experiment was performed in which five different Cotinus coggygria seedling populations were subjected to both drought and well-irrigated treatments. The phenotypic plasticity of leaf and fine root functional traits related with morphology, biomass allocation and seedling overall performance (i.e., seedling total dry biomass) were evaluated. The results showed the plasticity of specific fine root length, root length ratio, root length/leaf area, root biomass fraction, root biomass/leaf biomass and leaf biomass fraction were the key determinants driving the plasticity of seedling overall performance. The correlation between the plasticity of leaf area ratio and fine root length ratio was an indicator of the trade-off between the development of organs required to obtain resources from the light, and those required for soil resource uptake. Seedlings from one of the populations exhibited a relatively low total dry biomass in drought environment, but showed significantly more resources to water uptake from the soil by investing in fine root growth, at the expense of leaf growth, enhancing their potential for better acclimation to future predicted drought events in the context of global warming. © 2019 Friends Science Publishers