Ontogenetic changes in the phenotypic integration and modularity of leaf functional traits

1.Changes in resource availability, functional demands, hormonal regulation and developmental constraints can promote differences in the expression of leaf traits during plant development and foster changes in the targets of natural selection. As a consequence, the pattern and magnitude of covariation among traits, and therefore their phenotypic integration and modularity are equally expected to change throughout ontogeny. However, these changes have not been described yet. 2.We measured leaf economic, defensive and morphological traits in plants of Turnera velutina and estimated the magnitude and pattern of foliar integration and modularity for juvenile and reproductive individuals. In addition, we assessed the relationship between plant biomass and foliar integration within and among ontogenetic stages. 3.Both the pattern and magnitude of foliar integration changed across plant ontogeny. Foliar integration was lower in juvenile than in reproductive plants, and the pattern of phe...1. 资源可获得性、功能需求、激素调控与发育限制的变化，可促使植物发育过程中叶片性状的表达产生差异，并推动自然选择靶标的改变。由此，性状间协变的模式与强度，以及其表型整合（phenotypic integration）和模块化（modularity），同样会在个体发育（ontogeny）进程中发生改变。然而，目前尚未有针对这类变化的相关研究报道。 2. 本研究测定了绒毛特纳草（Turnera velutina）植株的叶片经济性状、防御性状与形态性状，并估算了幼龄个体与生殖个体的叶片整合模式及强度。此外，我们还评估了不同个体发育阶段内及阶段间的植株生物量与叶片整合度之间的关联。 3. 叶片整合的模式与强度均随植物个体发育进程发生改变。幼龄植株的叶片整合度低于生殖期植株，且其表型...