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Extreme longevity in trees: live slow, die old?
Julien Issartel1, Clément Coiffard
1Equipe Biomarqueurs et Bioindicateurs Environnementaux, UMR-CNRS/IRD 6116 IMEP, Université Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France. julien.issartel@univ-provence.fr
Oecologia
|October 22, 2010
Summary
The rate of living (ROL) theory suggests slower metabolism increases longevity. In trees, lower stem metabolism, not leaf metabolism, may explain their extreme longevity, supporting the ROL theory at the organ level.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Gerontology
- Ecology
Background:
- The rate of living (ROL) theory posits a negative correlation between metabolic rate and lifespan, primarily studied in animals.
- Plant longevity, particularly in trees, presents an opportunity to test this theory due to distinct organ-level metabolic rates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the applicability of the ROL theory to tree longevity by examining the relationship between metabolism and lifespan in leaves and stems.
- To determine if differential metabolism between tree organs contributes to overall extreme longevity.
Main Methods:
- Studied the relationship between metabolism and lifespan in the leaves and stems of several tree species.
- Utilized analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to compare mean leaf and stem lifespans, with metabolism as a covariate.
Main Results:
- A strong correlation (R² = 0.97) was observed between leaf and stem lifespan and their respective metabolic rates.
- Stems exhibited significantly lower metabolic rates compared to leaves.
- After accounting for metabolism, no significant difference was found in the mean lifespans of leaves and stems.
Conclusions:
- The lower metabolic rate of stems may explain the extreme longevity observed in trees.
- These findings suggest that the ROL theory of aging could be applicable to woody plants at the organ level.
- Different energy allocation and expenditure strategies between leaves and stems lead to varied senescence rates and lifespans.
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