The objective of this experiment is to investigate the relationship between biomass allocation patterns and relative growth rates (RGR) in a sample of species from Cedar Creek, ranging in habit from annual herbs to trees.
Seeds were collected in 1986. A preliminary germination test was run in January 1987 to estimate germination rates of the seeds. In April 1987, seeds were sown into containers filled with a potting soil mixture (field soil, peat moss, and perlite) and set out in the greenhouse in racks. Each rack (98 cones) contained two cones of each species. After germination, each cone was thinned to one individual per cone, giving 45 or more individuals per species. Plants were watered as needed and fertilized weekly. Fifteen plants per species were harvested including roots at 2, 4, and 6 weeks, and dried at 60 degrees C. Dried plants will be separated to root, stem, and leaf and weighed. A sample of seeds was retained and will be weighed. These data will allow the calculation of the time course of early growth and allocation patterns.