Abstract 3
1 Introduction 5
2 Materials and methods 9
2.1 Length-frequence diagrams 9
2.2 Measurement of leaf area 12
2.3 Measurement of the chlorophyll content 12
2.4 Measurement of shoot weight 12
2.5 Electronic microscopy, paraffi n technique and photography 12
2.6 Special terms used in this study 13
3 Results 15
3.1 Correlation between foliage and shoot system 15
3.2 Differences in length between long- and short-shoots 16
3.3 Comparisons of annual investment in shoot biomass between
long- and short shoots 16
3.4 Number of long- and short-shoots in different ages of an individual 24
3.5 Number of leaves and single-leaf area of long- and short-shoot leaves 25
3.6 Annual investment in shoot biomass per long-shoot leaf and leaf area 29
3.7 Annual investment in shoot biomass per short-shoot leaf and leaf area 29
3.8 Annual investment in shoot biomass per single-leaf and leaf area
in taxa without shoot differentiation 30
3.9 Comparison of annual investment in shoot biomass per 1 cm2
long-shoot leaf area and 1 cm2 short-shoot leaf area 31
3.10 Comparison of the total leaf area of an entire short-shoot
with single long-shoot leaf 31
3.11 Anatomical comparisons between long and short-shoot leaves 31
3.12 Chlorophyll content 31
3.13 Shoot abscission . 31
3.13.1 Shoot abscission in Cupressaceae (Gymnospermae) 38
3.13.2 Shoot abscission in Larix decidua (Pinaceae, Gymnospermae) 38
3.13.3 Shoot abscission in Quercus robur (Fagaceae, Angiospermae) 38
3.14 Anomaliess 50
3.14.1 Pinus with anomalous formed short-shoot 50
Pinus sylvestris 50
Pinus monophylla 50
3.14.2 Sciadopitys verticillata with anomalous formed cladodes 56
4 Discussion 61
4.1 Correlation between shoot differentiation and deciduousness 61
4.2 Correlation between long- and short-shoots 61
4.3 Correlation between long- and short-shoot leaves 63
4.4 Shoot abscission and its evolutionary meaning 65
4.4.1 Shoot abscission in Quercus robur, Fagaceae (Angiospermae) 65
4.4.2 Shoot abscission in Larix, Pinaceae (Gymnospermae) 66
4.4.3 Shoot abscission Cupressaceae (Gymnospermae) 66
4.5 Evolutionary implications for different groups 70
4.5.1 Angiospermous trees 70
4.5.1.1 Cercidiphyllum (Cercidiphyllaceae, Angiospermae) 70
4.5.1.2 Nothofagus (Nothofagaceae, Angiospermae) 70
4.5.2 Gymnospermous trees 72
4.5.2.1 Pinus (Pinaceae, Gymnospermae) 72
4.5.2.2 Cedrus (Pinaceae, Gymnospermae) 75
4.5.2.3 Larix (Pinaceae, Gymnospermae) 76
4.5.2.4 Pseudolarix (Pinaceae, Gymnospermae) 76
4.5.2.5 Metasequoia (Cupressaceae s.l., Gymnospermae) 76
4.5.2.6 Sciadopitys verticillata (Sciadopityaceae, Gymnospermae) 77
4.5.2.7 Ginkgo (Ginkgoaceae, Gymnospermae) 78
5 Conclusions 81
6 Acknowledgements 83
7 Bibliography 85
Index 91
List of genera and species 92
