Limited evidence that larger acorns buffer Quercus rubra seedlings from density-dependent biotic stressors

Plant performance and functional traits vary considerably within species, particularly in response to environmental variation. Plant responses may reflect life-history trade-offs, such as between resource acquisition and resource conservation. Larger seeds may buffer young plants from the negative effects of environmental variation, such as limitations in nutrients or water. However, whether seed size plays a similar role in how plants respond to variation in their biotic environment, including competition and soil microbial communities, remains poorly understood.

We used a greenhouse experiment to test the interactive effects of intraspecific competition, the origin of the soil microbial community, and seed size on performance and functional traits in Quercus rubra L. seedlings.

Intraspecific variation in seedling traits weakly aligned with a resource acquisition-conservation trade-off. Across the wide range of initial acorn mass, competition decreased seedling biomass by about 35%. Competition directly decreased the root mass ratio and indirectly increased specific leaf area and specific root length, via the negative effects on total biomass. In contrast, soil microbial communities had minor effects on seedlings, and we found no differences between plants receiving soil originating from a conspecific adult and plants receiving soil originating from a heterospecific adult.

Competition is a more important driver of intraspecific variation in young Quercus rubra seedling performance and traits, both directly and by delaying ontogenetic development, than soil microbial communities. Seed size is an important predictor of seedling biomass, but a larger seed does not necessarily buffer seedlings from the effects of competition.