Data from: Edge effects on growth and biomass partitioning of an Amazonian understory herb (Heliconia acuminata; Heliconiaceae)

PREMISE: After deforestation, environmental changes in the remaining
forest fragments are often most intense near the forest edge, but few
studies have evaluated plant growth or plasticity of plant growth in
response to edge effects. METHODS: In a 2-year common garden experiment,
we compared biomass allocation and growth of Heliconia acuminata with
identical genotypes grown in 50 × 35 m common gardens on a 25-year-old
edge and in a forest interior site. KEY RESULTS: Genetically identical
plants transplanted to the forest edge and understory exhibited different
patterns of growth and biomass allocation. However, individuals with
identical genotypes in the same garden often had very different responses.
Plants on forest edges also had higher growth rates and increased biomass
at the end of the experiment, almost certainly due to the increased light
on the forest edge. CONCLUSIONS: With over 70000 km of forest edge created
annually in the Brazilian Amazon, phenotypic plasticity may play an
important role in mediating plant responses to these novel environmental
conditions.