Testing the allometric scaling relationships with seedlings of two tree species

zTheoretical and empirical investigations of allometric scaling relationships have recently been receiving great attention in biology and ecology. Some recent studies suggest that a scale invariant property is universally valid for all plants, regardless of their phyletic affiliation or habitat. In this study, we test allometric relationships, including photosynthetic rate, biomass, stem diameter and height, using a field experiment with 2-year-old seedlings of Fraxinus mandshurica and Phellodendron amurense that are under three kinds of soil water treatments. There are no fixed scaling exponents for the two species at three soil water treatments. The scaling exponents of various allometric relationships are different between the two species, and even distinct among the individuals of same species at different soil water treatments. The scaling exponent of seedlings seems complicated, and the possible allometric relationships of seedlings may depend on species and partially be controlled by environmental factors. (C) 2003 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.