Temperature responsiveness of seedlings maximum relative growth rate in three Mediterranean Cistus species
Aims: Relative growth rate (RGR) is an indicator of the extent to which a species is using its photosynthates for growth and it is affected by environmental factors, including temperature. Nevertheless, most of plant growth studies have been carried out at a single growth temperature or at different temperature treatments, resulting in the lack of information on the relationship between RGR and changing mean daily air temperature. We analyzed the temporal changes in RGR during early growth stages in three Cistus species grown outdoor in a common garden from seeds of different provenances.