Sexual Dimorphism in the Chemical Composition of Male and Female in the Dioecious Tree, Juniperus communis L., Growing under Different Nutritional Conditions.

ABSTRACT: We hypothesized that female and male individuals of the dioecious tree species, Juniperus communis, exhibit different strategies of resource allocation when growing under stress conditions. To test this hypothesis, we performed a two-year pot experiment on plants exposed to different levels of nutrient availability. Analysis of the plants revealed a higher concentration of carbohydrates, carbon, and phenolic compounds in needles of female plants, indicating that females allocate more resources to storage and defense than males. This difference was independent of nutrient availability. Differences in carbohydrates levels between the sexes were most often significant in June, during the most intensive phase of vegetative growth in both sexes, but could also be attributed to female res

SUBMITTER: Rabska M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7663750 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature