Scaling relationships of leaf vein and areole traits versus leaf size for nine Magnoliaceae species differing in venation density

Abstract

Premise

Across species, main leaf vein density scales inversely with leaf area ( A). Yet, minor vein density manifests no clear relationship with respect to A, despite having the potential to provide important insights into the trade‐off among the investments in leaf mechanical support, hydraulics, and light interception.

Methods

To examine this phenomenon, the leaves of nine Magnoliaceae leaves were sampled, and the scaling relationships among A and midrib length (ML), total vein length (TVL), total vein area (TVA), total areole area (TAA), and mean areole area (MAA) were determined. The scaling relationships between MAA and areole density (the number of areoles per unit leaf area) and between MAA and A were also analyzed.

Results

For five of the nine species, A was proportional to ML ². For eight of the nine species, TVL and TVA were both proportional to A. The numerical values of the scaling exponents for TAA vs. A were between 1.0 and 1.07 for eight species; i.e., as expected, TAA was isometrically proportional to A. There was no correlation between MAA and A, but MAA scaled inversely with respect to areole density for each species.

Conclusions

The correlation between midrib “density” (i.e., ML/ A) and A, and the lack of correlation between total leaf vein density and A result from the A $\propto$ ML ² scaling relationship and the proportional relationship between TVL and A, respectively. Leaves with the same size can have widely varying MAA. Thus, leaf size itself does not directly constrain leaf hydraulic efficiency and redundancy.