Abstract

Lithocarpus glaber (L glaber) has an unusual feature with root-tubes (Yoneda et al. 2009) and shows good capabilities of regeneration (Wang et al. 2007) and competition. We examined living strategy of L. glaber at seedling stage, especially. The purpose was to determine the biological function of root-tubes under stressful conditions. Experiments were conducted at the nursery of Kagoshima University in Korimoto campus. Two and three-years old seedlings were used during 6.5 and 9.3 months, respectively. They were distributed into the following four treatments: control (Cl), tube cut (Tc), shoot cut (Sc), shoot and tube cut (STc) before planting under different light conditions for each category. Root-tubes had a positive effect on life history strategy while the presence of shoots could act negatively. Survivals of Cl and Sc tended to be higher in all sites. Seedlings previously grown in stressful sites exhibited different adaptation capabilities and survival rates. A positive correlation could be detected between sizes of storage organs (root-tubes) survival rates and growth rates. Root-tubes and thick coating of seeds could be major factors regulating adaptability of L. glaber under stressful conditions.

Key words: growth, root-tubes, shoots, sprouting ability, survival, weight