Relationships among leaf traits of Australian arid zone plants: alternative modes of thermal protection

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen M. Curtis ◽  
Andrea Leigh ◽  
Scott Rayburg
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Structural Damage ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Thermal Protection ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Leaf Mass Per Area ◽  
Leaf Economics Spectrum ◽  
Leaf Trait ◽  
Leaf Mass

Despite the importance of leaf traits that protect against critically high leaf temperatures, relationships among such traits have not been investigated. Further, while some leaf trait relationships are well documented across biomes, little is known about such associations within a biome. This study investigated relationships between nine leaf traits that protect leaves against excessively high temperatures in 95 Australian arid zone species. Seven morphological traits were measured: leaf area, length, width, thickness, leaf mass per area, water content, and an inverse measure of pendulousness. Two spectral properties were measured: reflectance of visible and near-infrared radiation. Three key findings emerged: (1) leaf pendulousness increased with leaf size and leaf mass per area, the former relationship suggesting that pendulousness affords thermal protection when leaves are large; (2) leaf mass per area increased with thickness and decreased with water content, indicating alternative means for protection through increasing thermal mass; (3) spectral reflectance increased with leaf mass per area and thickness and decreased with water content. The consistent co-variation of thermal protective traits with leaf mass per area, a trait not usually associated with thermal protection, suggests that these traits fall along the leaf economics spectrum, with leaf longevity increasing through protection not only against structural damage but also against heat stress.

scholarly journals The leaf economics spectrum’s morning coffee: plant size-dependent changes in leaf traits and reproductive onset in a perennial tree crop

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam R Martin ◽  
Marney E Isaac
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Plant Size ◽  
Leaf Economics Spectrum ◽  
Size Dependent ◽  
Leaf Mass ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Reproductive Onset ◽  
Leaf Economics

Abstract Background and Aims Size-dependent changes in plant traits are an important source of intraspecific trait variation. However, there are few studies that have tested if leaf trait co-variation and/or trade-offs follow a within-genotype leaf economics spectrum (LES) related to plant size and reproductive onset. To our knowledge, there are no studies on any plant species that have tested whether or not the shape of a within-genotype LES that describes how traits covary across whole plant sizes, is the same as the shape of a within-genotype LES that represents environmentally driven trait plasticity. Methods We quantified size-dependent variation in eight leaf traits in a single coffee genotype (Coffea arabica var. Caturra) in managed agroecosystems with different environmental conditions (light and fertilization treatments), and evaluated these patterns with respect to reproductive onset. We also evaluated if trait covariation along a within-genotype plant-size LES differed from a within-genotype environmental LES defined with trait data from coffee growing in different environmental conditions. Key Results Leaf economics traits related to resource acquisition – maximum photosynthetic rates (A) and mass-based leaf nitrogen (N) concentrations – declined linearly with plant size. Structural traits – leaf mass, leaf thickness, and leaf mass per unit area (LMA) – and leaf area increased with plant size beyond reproductive onset, then declined in larger plants. Three primary LES traits (mass-based A, leaf N and LMA) covaried across a within-genotype plant-size LES, with plants moving towards the ‘resource-conserving’ end of the LES as they grow larger; in coffee these patterns were nearly identical to a within-genotype environmental LES. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that a plant-size LES exists within a single genotype. Our findings indicate that in managed agroecosystems where resource availability is high the role of reproductive onset in driving within-genotype trait variability, and the strength of covariation and trade-offs among LES traits, are less pronounced compared with plants in natural systems. The consistency in trait covariation in coffee along both plant-size and environmental LES axes indicates strong constraints on leaf form and function that exist within plant genotypes.

scholarly journals Forest Leaf Mass per Area (LMA) through the Eye of Optical Remote Sensing: A Review and Future Outlook

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 3352
Author(s):  
Tawanda W. Gara ◽  
Parinaz Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran ◽  
Roshanak Darvishzadeh
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Leaf Mass Per Area ◽  
Ecosystem Structure ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Leaf Mass ◽  
Quantitative Remote Sensing

Quantitative remote sensing of leaf traits offers an opportunity to track biodiversity changes from space. Augmenting field measurement of leaf traits with remote sensing provides a pathway for monitoring essential biodiversity variables (EBVs) over space and time. Detailed information on key leaf traits such as leaf mass per area (LMA) is critical for understanding ecosystem structure and functioning, and subsequently the provision of ecosystem services. Although studies on remote sensing of LMA and related constituents have been conducted for over three decades, a comprehensive review of remote sensing of LMA—a key driver of leaf and canopy reflectance—has been lacking. This paper reviews the current state and potential approaches, in addition to the challenges associated with LMA estimation/retrieval in forest ecosystems. The physiology and environmental factors that influence the spatial and temporal variation of LMA are presented. The scope of scaling LMA using remote sensing systems at various scales, i.e., near ground (in situ), airborne, and spaceborne platforms is reviewed and discussed. The review explores the advantages and disadvantages of LMA modelling techniques from these platforms. Finally, the research gaps and perspectives for future research are presented. Our review reveals that although progress has been made, scaling LMA to regional and global scales remains a challenge. In addition to seasonal tracking, three-dimensional modeling of LMA is still in its infancy. Over the past decade, the remote sensing scientific community has made efforts to separate LMA constituents in physical modelling at the leaf level. However, upscaling these leaf models to canopy level in forest ecosystems remains untested. We identified future opportunities involving the synergy of multiple sensors, and investigated the utility of hybrid models, particularly at the canopy and landscape levels.

scholarly journals Effects of grazing on leaf traits and ecosystem functioning in Inner Mongolia grasslands: scaling from species to community

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 9945-9975 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. X. Zheng ◽  
H. Y. Ren ◽  
Z. C. Lan ◽  
W. H. Li ◽  
Y. F. Bai
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Ecosystem Functioning ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Leaf Biomass ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Semiarid Grassland ◽  
Leaf Trait ◽  
Leaf Mass

Abstract. More attention has focused on using some easily measured plant functional traits to predict grazing influence on plant growth and ecosystem functioning. However, there has been much controversy on leaf traits response to grazing, thus more research should be conducted at the species level. Here we investigated the leaf area, leaf mass and specific leaf area (SLA) of 263 species in eight grassland communities along a soil moisture gradient in the Xilin River Basin, a semiarid grassland of northern China, to explore the grazing effects on ecosystem functioning. Results demonstrated that grazing decreased the leaf area and leaf mass in more than 56% of species in the Xilin River Basin, however, responses of SLA to grazing varied widely between species. Grazing increased SLA in 38.4% of species, decreased SLA in 31.3% of species and had no effect on 30.3% of species. Annuals and biennials generally developed high SLA as grazing tolerance traits, while perennial graminoids developed low SLA as grazing avoidance traits. Considering the water ecotypes, the SLA-increased and SLA-unchanged species were dominated by hygrophytes and mesophytes, while the SLA-decreased species were dominated by xerophytes. At the community level, grazing decreased the mean leaf area index (LAI) of six communities by 16.9%, leaf biomass by 35.2% and standing aboveground biomass (SAB) by 35.0% in the Xilin River Basin, indicating that overgrazing greatly decreased the ecosystem functioning in the semi-arid grassland of northern China. Soil properties, especially fielding holding capacity and soil organic carbon and total nitrogen could mediate the negative grazing impacts. The results suggest SLA is a better leaf trait to reveal plant adaptability to grazing. Our findings have practical implications for range management and productivity maintenance in the semiarid grassland, and it is feasible to take some measures such as ameliorating soil water and nutrient availabilities to prevent grassland degradation.

scholarly journals Leaf traits drive differences in biomass partitioning among major plant functional types

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Remko A Duursma ◽  
Daniel S Falster
Keyword(s):  
Global Climate ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Biomass Partitioning ◽  
Plant Functional Types ◽  
Leaf Mass Per Area ◽  
Leaf Mass ◽  
Functional Types ◽  
Vegetation Models ◽  
Climate Space

1. The partitioning of biomass into leaves and stems is one of the most uncertain and influential components of global vegetation models (GVMs). Although GVMs typically assume that the major woody plant functional types (PFTs) differ in biomass partitioning, empirical studies have not been able to justify these differences. Here we test for differences between PFTs in partitioning of biomass between leaves and stems. 2. We use the recently published Biomass And Allometry Database (BAAD), a large database including observations for individual plants. The database covers the global climate space, allowing us to test for direct climate effects in addition to PFT. 3. The leaf mass fraction (LMF, leaf / total aboveground biomass) varied strongly between PFTs (as defined by deciduous vs. evergreen and gymnosperm vs. angiosperm). We found that LMF, once corrected for plant height, was proportional to leaf mass per area across PFTs. As a result, the PFTs did not differ in the amount of leaf area supported per unit above ground biomass. We found only weak and inconsistent effects of climate on biomass partitioning. 4. Combined, these results uncover fundamental rules in how plants are constructed and allow for systematic benchmarking of biomass partitioning routines in GVMs.

scholarly journals Overwintering evergreen oaks reverse typical relationships between leaf traits in a species spectrum

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
pp. 160276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hisanori Harayama ◽  
Atsushi Ishida ◽  
Jin Yoshimura
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Carbon Gain ◽  
Leaf Mass Per Area ◽  
Nitrogen Allocation ◽  
Leaf Economics Spectrum ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Leaf Economics ◽  
Evergreen Oaks

The leaf economics spectrum has given us a fundamental understanding of the species variations in leaf variables. Across plant species, tight correlations among leaf mass per area (LMA), mass-based nitrogen ( N m ) and photosynthetic rate ( A m ) and leaf lifespan have been well known as trade-offs in leaf carbon economy. However, the regional or biome-level correlations may not be necessary to correspond with the global-scale analysis. Here, we show that almost all leaf variables in overwintering evergreen oaks in Japan were relatively well included within the evergreen-broadleaved trees in worldwide temperate forests, but N m was more consistent with that in deciduous broadleaved trees. Contrary to the universal correlations, the correlation between A m and N m among the evergreen oaks was negative and the correlation between A m and LMA disappeared. The unique performance was due to specific nitrogen allocation within leaves, i.e. the evergreen oaks with later leaf maturation had lower N m but higher nitrogen allocation to photosynthetic enzymes within leaves, to enhance carbon gain against the delayed leaf maturation and the shortened photosynthetic period due to cold winters. Our data demonstrate that correlations between leaf variables in a local scale are occasionally different from averaged global-scale datasets, because of the constraints in each biome.

scholarly journals Effects of Increased N Deposition on Leaf Functional Traits of Four Contrasting Tree Species in Northeast China

Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1231
Author(s):  
Attaullah Khan ◽  
Jingjue Sun ◽  
Nowsherwan Zarif ◽  
Kashif Khan ◽  
Muhammad Atif Jamil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Allocation ◽  
Northeast China ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Leaf Thickness ◽  
Pinus Koraiensis ◽  
Leaf Mass Per Area ◽  
Leaf Mass ◽  
Allocation Patterns ◽  
Leaf Density

Northeast China is persistently affected by heavy nitrogen (N) deposition. Studying the induced variation in leaf traits is pivotal to develop an understanding of the adaptive plasticity of affected species. This study thus assesses effects of increased N deposition on leaf morphological and anatomical traits and their correlation among and with biomass allocation patterns. A factorial experiment was conducted utilizing seedlings of two gymnosperms (Larix gmelinii, Pinus koraiensis) and two angiosperms (Fraxinus mandshurica, Tilia amurensis). Leaf mass per area and leaf density decreased and leaf thickness increased under high N deposition but trait interrelations remained stable. In gymnosperms, leaf mass per area was correlated to both leaf thickness and area, while being correlated to leaf density only in angiosperms. Epidermis, mesophyll thickness, conduit and vascular bundle diameter increased. Despite the differences in taxonomic groups and leaf habits, the common patterns of variation suggest that a certain degree of convergence exists between the species’ reaction towards N deposition. However, stomata pore length increased in angiosperms, and decreased in gymnosperms under N deposition. Furthermore, biomass and leaf mass fraction were correlated to leaf traits in gymnosperms only, suggesting a differential coordination of leaf traits and biomass allocation patterns under high N deposition per taxonomic group.

scholarly journals Global patterns of the leaf economics spectrum in wetlands

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingji Pan ◽  
Ellen Cieraad ◽  
Jean Armstrong ◽  
William Armstrong ◽  
Beverley R. Clarkson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Wetland Plants ◽  
Leaf Mass Per Area ◽  
Leaf Life Span ◽  
Wetland Ecology ◽  
Plant Strategies ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Leaf Economics Spectrum ◽  
Leaf Economics

Abstract The leaf economics spectrum (LES) describes consistent correlations among a variety of leaf traits that reflect a gradient from conservative to acquisitive plant strategies. So far, whether the LES holds in wetland plants at a global scale has been unclear. Using data on 365 wetland species from 151 studies, we find that wetland plants in general show a shift within trait space along the same common slope as observed in non-wetland plants, with lower leaf mass per area, higher leaf nitrogen and phosphorus, faster photosynthetic rates, and shorter leaf life span compared to non-wetland plants. We conclude that wetland plants tend to cluster at the acquisitive end of the LES. The presented global quantifications of the LES in wetland plants enhance our understanding of wetland plant strategies in terms of resources acquisition and allocation, and provide a stepping-stone to developing trait-based approaches for wetland ecology.

scholarly journals Differences in Leaf Morphological Parameters of Pear (Pyrus communis L.) Based on Their Susceptibility to European Pear Rust Caused by Gymnosporangium sabinae (Dicks.) Oerst.

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1024
Author(s):  
Katrīna Kārkliņa ◽  
Gunārs Lācis ◽  
Baiba Lāce
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Disease Severity ◽  
Stomatal Density ◽  
Pyrus Communis ◽  
Leaf Mass Per Area ◽  
Morphological Parameters ◽  
European Pear ◽  
Leaf Mass ◽  
Pyrus Communis L ◽  
Gymnosporangium Sabinae

European pear rust is an important disease; however, the relationship between its causal pathogen Gymnosporangium sabinae (Dicks.) Oerst. and host Pyrus communis L. is poorly understood. In this study, disease severity was measured, and leaf samples were collected over three years, and their leaf water content; leaf area; leaf mass per area; and epidermis, mesophyll, and vascular tissue width and stomatal density were measured and compared between susceptible and resistant genotypes for each year. Most genotypes either showed consistent disease symptoms or showed no symptoms during the study in terms of their susceptibility. A correlation between disease severity and mesophyll tissue thickness, and stomatal density and differences between several morphological parameters were found depending on the genotype’s susceptibility. The study showed that the following pear morphological traits were stable between the years: water content, leaf mass per area, spongy mesophyll thickness, phloem thickness, and stomatal density. When selecting for breeding, we found that candidates for traits that discern susceptible genotypes from resistant were mesophyll layer width, stomatal density, epidermis width, and xylem tissue width.

scholarly journals Large-scale climatic and geophysical controls on the leaf economics spectrum

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (28) ◽  
pp. E4043-E4051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory P. Asner ◽  
David E. Knapp ◽  
Christopher B. Anderson ◽  
Roberta E. Martin ◽  
Nicholas Vaughn
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Imaging Spectroscopy ◽  
Leaf Mass Per Area ◽  
Leaf Economics Spectrum ◽  
Leaf Trait ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Airborne Imaging ◽  
Spatially Explicit Data ◽  
Leaf Economics

Leaf economics spectrum (LES) theory suggests a universal trade-off between resource acquisition and storage strategies in plants, expressed in relationships between foliar nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), leaf mass per area (LMA), and photosynthesis. However, how environmental conditions mediate LES trait interrelationships, particularly at large biospheric scales, remains unknown because of a lack of spatially explicit data, which ultimately limits our understanding of ecosystem processes, such as primary productivity and biogeochemical cycles. We used airborne imaging spectroscopy and geospatial modeling to generate, to our knowledge, the first biospheric maps of LES traits, here centered on 76 million ha of Andean and Amazonian forest, to assess climatic and geophysical determinants of LES traits and their interrelationships. Elevation and substrate were codominant drivers of leaf trait distributions. Multiple additional climatic and geophysical factors were secondary determinants of plant traits. Anticorrelations between N and LMA followed general LES theory, but topo-edaphic conditions strongly mediated and, at times, eliminated this classic relationship. We found no evidence for simple P–LMA or N–P trade-offs in forest canopies; rather, we mapped a continuum of N–P–LMA interactions that are sensitive to elevation and temperature. Our results reveal nested climatic and geophysical filtering of LES traits and their interrelationships, with important implications for predictions of forest productivity and acclimation to rapid climate change.

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