| Growth of seedlings of fifteen tropical tree species representative, at the adult stage, of different successional positions, was studied under field conditions. Seedlings were grown in three treatments: full sun (FS), artificial shade imposed by neutral screens (AS) and natural shade imposed by a closed canopy in a Forest Reserve in Southeast Brazil (NS). Most of the studied species survived in both shade treatments, although their growth was severely affected. Decreases in height, internode numbers, dry weight, leaf area, root:shoot ratio (R:S) and increases in leaf mass ratio (LMR), leaf area ratio (LAR) and specific leaf area (SLA) were common responses to shade. Relative growth rates (RGRs) and net assimilation rates (NARs) were consistently lower in... |
