Short Communication: Leaf trait relationships in Australian plant species

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian J. Wright ◽  
Philip K. Groom ◽  
Byron B. Lamont ◽  
Pieter Poot ◽  
Lynda D. Prior ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Dark Respiration ◽  
Leaf Nitrogen ◽  
Low Fertility ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Leaf Trait ◽  
Woody Perennials ◽  
Australian Plant ◽  
Global Datasets ◽  
Broad Scale

Leaf trait data were compiled for 258 Australian plant species from several habitat types dominated by woody perennials. Specific leaf area (SLA), photosynthetic capacity, dark respiration rate and leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations were positively correlated with one another and negatively correlated with average leaf lifespan. These trait relationships were consistent with previous results from global datasets. Together, these traits form a spectrum of variation running from species with cheap but frequently replaced leaves to those with strategies more attuned to a nutrient-conserving lifestyle. Australian species tended to have SLAs at the lower end of the spectrum, as expected in a dataset dominated by sclerophyllous species from low fertility or low rainfall sites. The existence of broad-scale, 'global' relationships does not imply that the same trait relationships will always be observed in small datasets. In particular, the probability of observing concordant patterns depends on the range of trait variation in a dataset, which, itself, may vary with sample size or species-sampling properties such as the range of growth forms, plant functional 'types', or taxa included in a particular study. The considerable scatter seen in these broad-scale trait relationships may be associated with climate, physiology and phylogeny.

scholarly journals Decomposing leaf mass into photosynthetic and structural components explains divergent patterns of trait variation within and among plant species

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masatoshi Katabuchi ◽  
Kaoru Kitajima ◽  
S. Joseph Wright ◽  
Sunshine A. Van Bael ◽  
Jeanne L. D. Osnas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
List Type ◽  
Metabolic Rates ◽  
Leaf Lifespan ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Leaf Toughness ◽  
Leaf Trait ◽  
Metabolic Traits ◽  
Leaf Mass ◽  
Mass Dependent

AbstractAcross the global flora, photosynthetic and metabolic rates depend more strongly on leaf area than leaf mass. In contrast, intraspecific variation in these rates is strongly mass-dependent. These contrasting patterns suggest that the causes of variation in leaf mass per area (LMA) may be fundamentally different within vs. among species.We used statistical methods to decompose LMA into two conceptual components – ‘photosynthetic’ LMAp (which determines photosynthetic capacity and metabolic rates, and also affects optimal leaf lifespan) and ‘structural’ LMAs (which determines leaf toughness and potential leaf lifespan) using leaf trait data from tropical forest sites in Panama and a global leaf-trait database.Statistically decomposing LMA into LMAp and LMAs provides improved predictions of trait variation (photosynthesis, respiration, and lifespan) across the global flora, and within and among tropical plant species in Panama. Our analysis shows that most interspecific LMA variation is due to LMAs (which explains why photosynthetic and metabolic traits are area-dependent across species) and that intraspecific LMA variation is due to changes in both LMAp and LMAs (which explains why photosynthetic and metabolic traits are mass-dependent within species).Our results suggest that leaf trait variation is multi-dimensional and is not well-represented by the one-dimensional leaf economics spectrum.

scholarly journals Leaf nitrogen from first principles: field evidence for adaptive variation with climate

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Dong ◽  
Iain Colin Prentice ◽  
Bradley J. Evans ◽  
Stefan Caddy-Retalic ◽  
Andrew J. Lowe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Leaf Nitrogen ◽  
Functional Ecology ◽  
Leaf Mass Per Area ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Rubisco Activity ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Leaf Trait ◽  
Field Evidence

Abstract. Nitrogen content per unit leaf area (Narea) is a key variable in plant functional ecology and biogeochemistry. Narea comprises a structural component, which scales with leaf mass per area (LMA), and a metabolic component, which scales with Rubisco capacity. The co-ordination hypothesis, as implemented in LPJ and related global vegetation models, predicts that Rubisco capacity should be directly proportional to irradiance but should decrease with ci:ca and temperature because the amount of Rubisco required to achieve a given assimilation rate declines with both. We tested these predictions using LMA, leaf δ13C and leaf N measurements on complete species assemblages sampled at sites on a North-South transect from tropical to temperate Australia. Partial effects of mean canopy irradiance, mean annual temperature and ci:ca (from δ13C) on Narea were all significant and their directions and magnitudes were in line with predictions. Over 80 % of the variance in community-mean (ln) Narea was accounted for by these predictors plus LMA. Moreover, Narea could be decomposed into two components, one proportional to LMA (slightly steeper in N-fixers), the other to predicted Rubisco activity. Trait gradient analysis revealed ci:ca to be perfectly plastic, while species turnover contributed about half the variation in LMA and Narea. Interest has surged in methods to predict continuous leaf-trait variation from environmental factors, in order to improve ecosystem models. Our results indicate that Narea has a useful degree of predictability, from a combination of LMA and ci:ca – themselves in part environmentally determined – with Rubisco activity, as predicted from local growing conditions. This is consistent with a 'plant-centred' approach to modelling, emphasizing the adaptive regulation of traits. Models that account for biodiversity will also need to partition community-level trait variation into components due to phenotypic plasticity and/or genotypic differentiation within species, versus progressive species replacement, along environmental gradients. Our analysis suggests that variation in Narea is about evenly split between these two modes.

scholarly journals Leaf nitrogen from first principles: field evidence for adaptive variation with climate

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 481-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Dong ◽  
Iain Colin Prentice ◽  
Bradley J. Evans ◽  
Stefan Caddy-Retalic ◽  
Andrew J. Lowe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Photosynthetic Capacity ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Leaf Nitrogen ◽  
Functional Ecology ◽  
Leaf Mass Per Area ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Leaf Trait ◽  
Field Evidence

Abstract. Nitrogen content per unit leaf area (Narea) is a key variable in plant functional ecology and biogeochemistry. Narea comprises a structural component, which scales with leaf mass per area (LMA), and a metabolic component, which scales with Rubisco capacity. The co-ordination hypothesis, as implemented in LPJ and related global vegetation models, predicts that Rubisco capacity should be directly proportional to irradiance but should decrease with increases in ci : ca and temperature because the amount of Rubisco required to achieve a given assimilation rate declines with increases in both. We tested these predictions using LMA, leaf δ13C, and leaf N measurements on complete species assemblages sampled at sites on a north–south transect from tropical to temperate Australia. Partial effects of mean canopy irradiance, mean annual temperature, and ci : ca (from δ13C) on Narea were all significant and their directions and magnitudes were in line with predictions. Over 80 % of the variance in community-mean (ln) Narea was accounted for by these predictors plus LMA. Moreover, Narea could be decomposed into two components, one proportional to LMA (slightly steeper in N-fixers), and the other to Rubisco capacity as predicted by the co-ordination hypothesis. Trait gradient analysis revealed ci : ca to be perfectly plastic, while species turnover contributed about half the variation in LMA and Narea. Interest has surged in methods to predict continuous leaf-trait variation from environmental factors, in order to improve ecosystem models. Coupled carbon–nitrogen models require a method to predict Narea that is more realistic than the widespread assumptions that Narea is proportional to photosynthetic capacity, and/or that Narea (and photosynthetic capacity) are determined by N supply from the soil. Our results indicate that Narea has a useful degree of predictability, from a combination of LMA and ci : ca – themselves in part environmentally determined – with Rubisco activity, as predicted from local growing conditions. This finding is consistent with a plant-centred approach to modelling, emphasizing the adaptive regulation of traits. Models that account for biodiversity will also need to partition community-level trait variation into components due to phenotypic plasticity and/or genotypic differentiation within species vs. progressive species replacement, along environmental gradients. Our analysis suggests that variation in Narea is about evenly split between these two modes.

scholarly journals Climatic factors shaping intraspecific leaf trait variation of a neotropical tree along a rainfall gradient

PLoS ONE ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. e0208512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matheus L. Souza ◽  
Alexandre A. Duarte ◽  
Maria B. Lovato ◽  
Marcilio Fagundes ◽  
Fernando Valladares ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Rainfall Gradient ◽  
Leaf Trait ◽  
Neotropical Tree

scholarly journals Quantifying Leaf Trait Covariations and Their Relationships with Plant Adaptation Strategies along an Aridity Gradient

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1066
Author(s):  
Yanzheng Yang ◽  
Le Kang ◽  
Jun Zhao ◽  
Ning Qi ◽  
Ruonan Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dry Mass ◽  
Leaf Nitrogen ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Leaf Nitrogen Content ◽  
Moisture Index ◽  
Multivariate Statistical ◽  
Plant Adaptation ◽  
Aridity Gradient ◽  
Leaf Trait ◽  
Leaf Economic Spectrum

A trait-based approach is an effective way to quantify plant adaptation strategies in response to changing environments. Single trait variations have been well depicted before; however, multi-trait covariations and their roles in shaping plant adaptation strategies along aridity gradients remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to reveal multi-trait covariation characteristics, their controls and their relevance to plant adaptation strategies. Using eight relevant plant functional traits and multivariate statistical approaches, we found the following: (1) the eight studied traits show evident covariation characteristics and could be grouped into four functional dimensions linked to plant strategies, namely energy balance, resource acquisition, resource investment and water use efficiency; (2) leaf area (LA) together with traits related to the leaf economic spectrum, including leaf nitrogen content per area (Narea), leaf nitrogen per mass (Nmass) and leaf dry mass per area (LMA), covaried along the aridity gradient (represented by the moisture index, MI) and dominated the trait–environmental change axis; (3) together, climate, soil and family can explain 50.4% of trait covariations; thus, vegetation succession along the aridity gradient cannot be neglected in trait covariations. Our findings provide novel perspectives toward a better understanding of plant adaptations to arid conditions and serve as a reference for vegetation restoration and management programs in arid regions.

Topography consistently drives intra‐ and inter‐specific leaf trait variation within tree species complexes in a Neotropical forest

Oikos ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 129 (10) ◽  
pp. 1521-1530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvain Schmitt ◽  
Bruno Hérault ◽  
Émilie Ducouret ◽  
Anne Baranger ◽  
Niklas Tysklind ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Leaf Trait ◽  
Neotropical Forest ◽  
Species Complexes

scholarly journals Research in Forest Biology in the Era of Climate Change and Rapid Urbanization

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Nancai Pei ◽  
W. John Kress
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Plant Environment ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Generate Plant ◽  
Forest Biology ◽  
Diverse Plant Species ◽  
Forest Habitats

Green plants provide the foundation for the structure, function, and interactions among organisms in both tropical and temperate zones. To date, many investigations have revealed patterns and mechanisms that generate plant diversity at various scales and from diverse ecological perspectives. However, in the era of climate change, anthropogenic disturbance, and rapid urbanization, new insights are needed to understand how plant species in these forest habitats are changing and adapting. Here, we recognize four themes that link studies from Asia and Europe presented in this Special Issue: (1) genetic analyses of diverse plant species; (2) above- and below-ground forest biodiversity; (3) trait expression and biological mechanisms; and (4) interactions of woody plants within a changing environment. These investigations enlarge our understanding of the origins of diversity, trait variation and heritability, and plant–environment interactions from diverse perspectives.

Thinking globally or acting locally? Belowground biotic responses to local- and broad- scale variations in mountain soils

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexia Stokes ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Soil Microbial Communities ◽  
Root Traits ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Soil Processes ◽  
Local Soil ◽  
Broad Scale

<p>Soil is a hyper-heterogeneous environment, and how plants respond to changes in belowground variations in microclimate, soil properties and biota is extremely difficult to disentangle. Environmental gradients have been proposed as useful to help understand how root traits mediate plant responses to soil hyper-heterogeneity, and if in turn, there is a feedback mechanism that then impacts soil processes.</p><p>We present data from studies of forests and prairies situated along temperate elevational gradients. We measured functional traits from individual plant species and also in species mixtures at the community level. Distinct patterns in aboveground traits were found with increasing altitude. However, even though there were changes in soil biota, physical and chemical properties along gradients, we show that at the species level, several plant root traits were more sensitive to variations in local soil properties, compared to global variations along the elevation gradient. At the community level however, patterns of trait variation in individual species were often masked. Earthworm populations were also mostly driven by local soil properties, and elevation and plant species composition had only an indirect effect on population size. We also demonstrate that increased diversity in soil microbial communities was linked to the species composition of vegetation at a local level, rather than broad scale soil or climate characteristics.</p><p>Results will be discussed with regard to their impact on shaping soil processes such as carbon stockage, aggregation and hydraulic conductivity. Integrating these data into conceptual models of mountain ecosystem functioning is a challenging next step.</p>

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