Ontogenetic variations in leaf morphology of the tropical rain forest species Dipterocarpus alatus Roxb. ex G. Don

Under natural conditions ontogenetic development often coincides with changes in environmental factors. When explaining variations in leaf parameters, analyses based solely on environmental factors will lead to significant errors if the plant shows substantial ontogenetic variations in leaf properties. We evaluated intraspecific variations in eight morphological leaf traits of Dipterocarpus alatus over six architectural development stages under two different light conditions. An architectural analysis was conducted to distinguish precisely and objectively developmental stages of D. alatus. Leaves were collected on the most recent complete growth unit on the trunks of trees growing under two different light conditions. Eight leaf morphological traits were measured and calculated using ImageJ on greyscale images of leaf tracings. One-way ANOVA and Tukey tests were used to determine differences in leaf traits during ontogeny. The correlation coefficients were compared to determine whether leaf traits correlated more strongly with ontogenetic stage than with light intensity. D. alatus develops through a progressive transformation of its structure and architecture that adds one new axis category stage after stage. Specific leaf area, blade shape index and leaf dissection index decreased whereas blade area, perimeter, length, width and blade dry weight increased. Leaf traits correlated more strongly with ontogenetic stage than with light intensity. Our results demonstrated that studies on the responses of leaf traits to the environment may need to be corrected for an ontogeny effect. To strengthen this conclusion, future work should evaluate leaf variations during the ontogeny of different axis orders and/or axis categories. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.