The Adaptive Architecture of Shrub Canopies: Leaf Display and Biomass Allocation in Relation to Light Environment

SUMMARY Leaf display features and biomass allocation were investigated in four dominant shrubs of forest and old‐field habitats in central New Jersey, USA, to determine whether differences exist between species which reach optimum development in different successional environments. Late‐successional shrubs were found to possess larger leaves, greater leaf area expansion (ratio of leaf area to leaf weight), and increased allocation of total energy to leaves versus wood, compared to early‐successional shrubs. The shrubs appeared to deviate from patterns of biomass allocation expected in trees, possibly as a result of relative ease of horizontal exploitation of space through cloning. In addition, there appears to be a great deal of flexibility in features of leaf display which may play an important role in shrub adaptation to particular light regimes.