Compensatory growth of two clonal dwarf shrubs, Arctostaphylos uva-ursiand Vaccinium uliginosum in a heavy metal polluted environment

摘要

The effect of artificial shoot clipping on the vegetative growth and sexual reproduction of the evergreen bearberry, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, and the deciduous bog bilberry, Vaccinium uliginosum, was studied in the vicinity of a copper-nickel smelter in SW Finland. According to the research hypothesis, heavy metal induced shoot death breaks the apical dominance in the clones growing in a polluted environment. This causes activation of dormant axillary and adventitious buds and an increase in branching on the older parts of the stem. Regrowth after shoot death was studied by clipping off all the current-year shoots from experimental branches in autumn (1994) and spring (1995). Within-clone and between-clone control branches were used to test the data.