The Effects of Light Quality and Quantity on the Developmental Ecology of Malaysian Rainforest Trees

地球上仅存的热带雨林受到威胁 在未来十年内毁灭。 这些机制是 农业转移，牧场转换，全球气候 变化，工业化农业和伐木，原因是 人口过剩和短视。 知识将 帮助这些森林的再生和恢复， 大部分缺乏。 特别是详细了解 决定个体成长的环境因素 这些森林中的树种是必需的。 不同的树木在 它们对森林中荫蔽条件的耐受性， 这些树木的再生模式。 树木生长在 森林的自然遮荫受到减少， 光强度和光谱质量的变化 光 几乎所有的树木对树荫的反应 在不同的光照水平下研究，而不考虑这些变化， 光质量。 因此，以往的研究，遮荫反应， 树木可能低估了树木对阴影的反应 条件 本提案的目的是研究 光质量的变化与减少的光无关 植物暴露在森林树荫下的强度。 的 十种马来西亚热带雨林树木幼苗对 光的数量和质量将专门研究 年，在林业研究所建造了遮阳棚， 马来西亚，吉隆坡。 这些树木将包括先锋 种、耐荫挺水植物和不耐荫挺水植物。 幼苗将生长12个月，然后 分析了它们的结构，叶的形态和解剖， 和光合特性。 结果将与 那些从幼苗生长在自然树冠遮荫，并将 有助于了解这些树木对自然光的反应 森林里的气候 这些信息还可以用于 帮助它们在苗圃里生长，以便以后移植到 再生森林

The earth's remaining tropical rainforests are threatened with destruction in the next 10 years. The mechanisms are shifting agriculture, conversion to pasture, global climate changes, industrial agriculture and logging, and the reasons are over-population and short-sightedness. Knowledge which would assist in the regeneration and restoration of these forests is mostly lacking. In particular detailed knowledge of the environmental factors that determine the growth of the individual tree species in these forests is needed. Different trees vary in their tolerance to shade conditions in the forest, controlling the patterns of regeneration of these trees. Trees growing in the natural shade of forests are subjected to a reduction in light intensity and a change in the spectral quality of the light. Virtually all of the shade responses of tree have been studied at varying light levels without regard to these shifts in light quality. Thus, previous studies on shade responses of trees probably underestimate responses of trees to shade conditions. The purpose of this proposal is to study the effects of shifts in light quality independently of the reduced light intensity to which plants are exposed in the forest shade. The responses of seedlings of ten Malaysian rainforest trees to light quantity and quality will be studied in specially constructed shadehouses at the Forestry Research Institute in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. These trees will include pioneer species, shade-tolerant emergent and shade-intolerant emergent. The seedlings will be grown for twelve months and then be analysed for their architecture, leaf morphology and anatomy, and photosynthetic properties. The results will be compared to those from seedlings grown under natural canopy shade, and will help in understanding how these trees respond to natural light climates in the forest. Such information can also be used to help grow them in nurseries for later transplanting into regenerating forests.