{"id":{"repo_id":"vcu","oai_identifier":"oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-1239"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vcu/oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-1239","repository":{"repo_id":"vcu","name":"Virginia Commonwealth University","base_url":"https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"CHANGES IN LEAF MORPHOLOGY, PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND NITROGEN CONTENT IN TWO COASTAL SHRUBS","abstract":"It is important to understand mechanisms that facilitate expansion of two common shrubs, Morella cerifera and Baccharis halimifolia in coastal environments. The purpose of my study was to investigate the physiological and structural changes that occur as leaves age. Photosynthesis, incident light, chlorophyll, and leaf C:N ratios were quantified for young, intermediate, and old leaves (distal, central and proximal leaves, respectively). Leaf structural differences were also compared. Leaves did not change morphologically with age. Light decreased with leaf age and during winter months. Photosynthesis showed no seasonal or age related patterns. Chlorophyll increased initially and then declined with age due to self shading. Nitrogen content was highest during spring. Seasonality and leaf age had unique effects on the two study species. Understanding senescence adaptations of these two shrubs can help explain their abundance in coastal ecosystems.","abstract_html":"It is important to understand mechanisms that facilitate expansion of two common shrubs, Morella cerifera and Baccharis halimifolia in coastal environments. The purpose of my study was to investigate the physiological and structural changes that occur as leaves age. Photosynthesis, incident light, chlorophyll, and leaf C:N ratios were quantified for young, intermediate, and old leaves (distal, central and proximal leaves, respectively). Leaf structural differences were also compared. Leaves did not change morphologically with age. Light decreased with leaf age and during winter months. Photosynthesis showed no seasonal or age related patterns. Chlorophyll increased initially and then declined with age due to self shading. Nitrogen content was highest during spring. Seasonality and leaf age had unique effects on the two study species. Understanding senescence adaptations of these two shrubs can help explain their abundance in coastal ecosystems.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Kost, Elizabeth"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Biology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Donald Young"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-05-03T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-05-03T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:53:26Z","subjects":["Ecology","Shrub","Morella cerifera","Baccharis halimifolia","Photosynthesis","coastal ecosystems","coastal","barrier island","senescence","Biology","Life Sciences"],"languages":[],"rights":["© The Author"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/240"],"render_values":[{"text":"https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/240","href":"https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/240","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://doi.org/10.25772/FJWZ-CT71","outbound_label":"DOI","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Donald Young"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Kost, Elizabeth"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-07-25T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Ecology","Shrub","Morella cerifera","Baccharis halimifolia","Photosynthesis","coastal ecosystems","coastal","barrier island","senescence","Biology","Life Sciences"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© The Author"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://doi.org/10.25772/FJWZ-CT71","https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/240"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["It is important to understand mechanisms that facilitate expansion of two common shrubs, Morella cerifera and Baccharis halimifolia in coastal environments. The purpose of my study was to investigate the physiological and structural changes that occur as leaves age. Photosynthesis, incident light, chlorophyll, and leaf C:N ratios were quantified for young, intermediate, and old leaves (distal, central and proximal leaves, respectively). Leaf structural differences were also compared. Leaves did not change morphologically with age. Light decreased with leaf age and during winter months. Photosynthesis showed no seasonal or age related patterns. Chlorophyll increased initially and then declined with age due to self shading. Nitrogen content was highest during spring. Seasonality and leaf age had unique effects on the two study species. Understanding senescence adaptations of these two shrubs can help explain their abundance in coastal ecosystems."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["CHANGES IN LEAF MORPHOLOGY, PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND NITROGEN CONTENT IN TWO COASTAL SHRUBS"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Donald Young"],"dc:creator":["Kost, Elizabeth"],"dc:date.available":["2016-07-25T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["It is important to understand mechanisms that facilitate expansion of two common shrubs, Morella cerifera and Baccharis halimifolia in coastal environments. The purpose of my study was to investigate the physiological and structural changes that occur as leaves age. Photosynthesis, incident light, chlorophyll, and leaf C:N ratios were quantified for young, intermediate, and old leaves (distal, central and proximal leaves, respectively). Leaf structural differences were also compared. Leaves did not change morphologically with age. Light decreased with leaf age and during winter months. Photosynthesis showed no seasonal or age related patterns. Chlorophyll increased initially and then declined with age due to self shading. Nitrogen content was highest during spring. Seasonality and leaf age had unique effects on the two study species. Understanding senescence adaptations of these two shrubs can help explain their abundance in coastal ecosystems."],"dc:identifier":["https://doi.org/10.25772/FJWZ-CT71","https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/240"],"dc:rights":["© The Author"],"dc:subject":["Ecology","Shrub","Morella cerifera","Baccharis halimifolia","Photosynthesis","coastal ecosystems","coastal","barrier island","senescence","Biology","Life Sciences"],"dc:title":["CHANGES IN LEAF MORPHOLOGY, PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND NITROGEN CONTENT IN TWO COASTAL SHRUBS"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:53:26Z"}