An Estimate of Growth and Maintenance Respiration in Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) Seedlings

The quantitative relationship between respiration and growth was investigated for hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa (Sieb. et Zucc) Endl.) seedlings (including roots). The relation of annual specific respiration rate to annual relative growth rate was fitted by a single straight line over all seedlings. From this relation, respiration was divided into two components, maintenance and growth respiration which were proportional to dry mass and its increment, respectively. Any seedlings consumed annually 391% of the dry mass by maintenance respiration and 24% of the dry mass increment by growth respiration. The ratio of growth respiration to total respiration, varying among seedlings, ranged from 3 to 13% with the average of 8%.