Data from: Leafing intensity and the fruit size/number trade-off in woody angiosperms

1. A sample of woody angiosperm species was used to test a central prediction of the ‘leafing intensity premium’ hypothesis: higher leafing intensity (number of leaves produced per unit dry mass of shoot vegetative tissue produced in the same growing season) confers a larger bud bank (i.e. number of axillary meristems per unit shoot tissue) that can be deployed for reproduction, and thus confers generally greater fruit numbers, and hence higher potential fecundity allocation (i.e. fecundity per unit size of the supporting shoot tissue that is produced in the same growing season. 2. Current-year shoots (i.e. bearing leaves) were collected to record: shoot dry mass, total number of leaves, total number of fruits or fruit clusters (if derived from inflorescences), mean individual leaf dry mass, and mean individual fruit dry mass. Sampled individuals (shrubs and trees) were also measured for body size (main stem height and circumference). 3. Species with larger individual fruit (or fruit cluster) mass have generally larger leaves but they also have a negative trade-off relationship with ‘fruiting intensity’ — i.e. the total number of reproductive meristems producing fruits (or fruit clusters) per unit dry mass of shoot vegetative tissue produced in the same growing season. Variation in fruiting intensity, however, is better predicted by a positive relationship with variation in bud bank size. 4. Species with smaller leaf size (dry mass) have generally higher leafing intensity; species with higher leafing intensity in turn have generally higher fruiting intensity; and species with higher fruiting intensity in turn have generally higher potential fecundity allocation (based on the typical species maximum number of seeds per fruit, obtained from published floras). Species with smaller body size have generally higher potential fecundity allocation, but body size had no significant relationships with other measured traits when controlling for phylogeny (using phylogenetically independent contrasts). 5. Synthesis. Our results indicate that bud bank size is an important functional trait for defining adaptive strategy in woody angiosperms. A larger bud bank is generated by higher leafing intensity, which in turn generates higher fruiting intensity, thus generating greater potential fecundity allocation. These traits will be important for maximizing reproductive economy — i.e. capacity to produce offspring despite growth or body size limitation (e.g. due to crowding/competition, or because of limited time available for growth, flowering, pollination, or fruit/seed maturation).1. 本研究以木本被子植物（woody angiosperm）为样本，对“出叶强度溢价（leafing intensity premium）”假说的核心预测进行检验：更高的出叶强度（leafing intensity，即同一生长季（growing season）内，单位嫩枝营养组织（shoot vegetative tissue）干质量所产生的叶片数量）可形成更大的芽库（bud bank，即单位嫩枝组织的腋生分生组织（axillary meristems）数量），此类芽库可用于生殖生长，进而产出更多果实，最终提升潜在繁殖分配（potential fecundity allocation，即同一生长季内，单位支撑嫩枝组织干质量对应的繁殖力（fecundity））。 2. 采集当年生带叶嫩枝（current-year shoots bearing leaves），记录以下指标：嫩枝干质量、叶片总数、果实或果簇（fruit clusters）总数（若果簇由花序（inflorescences）发育而来）、单叶平均干质量（mean individual leaf dry mass）以及单果平均干质量（mean individual fruit dry mass）。同时测定采样个体（灌木和乔木）的个体大小指标，包括主茎高度（main stem height）与主茎周长（main stem circumference）。 3. 单果（或单果簇）干质量更大的物种，其叶片通常也更大，但此类物种与“结实强度（fruiting intensity）”呈负权衡关系——结实强度指同一生长季内，单位嫩枝营养组织干质量所对应的产生果实（或果簇）的生殖分生组织（reproductive meristems）总数。不过，结实强度的变异更可通过与芽库大小变异的正相关关系进行预测。 4. 单叶干质量更小的物种，出叶强度通常更高；出叶强度更高的物种，结实强度通常也更高；而结实强度更高的物种，其潜在繁殖分配通常也更高（潜在繁殖分配基于已发表植物志（floras）中记载的物种单果最大种子数计算）。个体体型更小的物种，潜在繁殖分配通常更高，但在控制系统发育效应（采用系统发育独立对比（phylogenetically independent contrasts）法）后，个体体型与其他测定性状无显著相关关系。 5. 综合分析。本研究结果表明，芽库大小是定义木本被子植物适应策略（adaptive strategy）的重要功能性状（functional trait）。更高的出叶强度可形成更大的芽库，进而提升结实强度，最终增加潜在繁殖分配。这些性状对于最大化繁殖经济性（reproductive economy）至关重要——繁殖经济性指即便受生长或体型限制（例如因种群拥挤/竞争，或生长、开花、传粉、果实/种子成熟的时间有限），仍能产生后代的能力。