Drip‐tips are Associated with Intensity of Precipitation in the Amazon Rain Forest

Malhado, Ana C. M.; Malhi, Yadvinder; Whittaker, Robert J.; Ladle, Richard J.; Steege, Hans ter; Fabré, Nidia Noemí; Phillips, Oliver L.; Laurance, William F.; Aragão, L. E. O. C.; Pitman, Nigel C. A.; Ramírez‐Angulo, Hirma; Malhado, Carlos Henrıque Mendes

doi:10.1111/j.1744-7429.2012.00868.x

Cited by 28 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…All of the sites along the gradient receive relatively high precipitation and there may be insufficient variation to observe the contribution of precipitation to the presence or absence of drip tips. Recent research on the presence of drip tips across the Amazon suggested that they are not associated with high total annual precipitation, but rather with the precipitation of the wettest trimester, a proxy for the intensity of precipitation (Malhado et al ., ). However, annual precipitation and precipitation of the wettest month are highly correlated in the sites we studied.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Further, the presence of a long, narrow tip on the end of a leaf (i.e. acuminate or attenuate leaf apices), referred to as a drip tip, is a morphology often associated with promoting water loss from leaves and accelerating the drying process (Malhado et al, 2012). These surface and morphological traits are in turn modified by leaf architecture, whereby increases in leaf angle (relative to horizontal) can further reduce leaf wettability (Holder, 2012a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variation in leaf wettability traits along a tropical montane elevation gradient

et al. 2016

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Summary Leaf wetting is often considered to have negative effects on plant function, such that wet environments may select for leaves with certain leaf surface, morphological, and architectural traits that reduce leaf wettability. However, there is growing recognition that leaf wetting can have positive effects.We measured variation in two traits, leaf drip tips and leaf water repellency, in a series of nine tropical forest communities occurring along a 3300‐m elevation gradient in southern Peru. To extend this climatic gradient, we also assembled published leaf water repellency values from 17 additional sites. We then tested hypotheses for how these traits should vary as a function of climate.Contrary to expectations, we found that the proportion of species with drip tips did not increase with increasing precipitation. Instead, drip tips increased with increasing temperature. Moreover, leaf water repellency was very low in our sites and the global analysis indicated high repellency only in sites with low precipitation and temperatures.Our findings suggest that drip tips and repellency may not solely reflect the negative effects of wetting on plant function. Understanding the drivers of leaf wettability traits can provide insight into the effects of leaf wetting on plant, community, and ecosystem function.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation in leaf wettability traits along a tropical montane elevation gradient

et al. 2016

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“…To my knowledge, the possible water‐shedding function of this leaf morphology has been neither suggested, nor investigated previously. The other means of draining water, which has been experimentally verified, is the long, drawn‐out leaf apex or ‘drip tip’ characteristic of tropical rain‐forest canopy trees (Lightbody, ; Ivey & De Silva, ; Farji‐Brener et al ., ; Burd, ; Malhado et al ., ; Meng et al ., ). Leaves with a drip tip are almost always smooth and have entire margins (Malhado et al ., ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plants that lead: do some surface features direct enemy traffic on leaves and stems?

Vermeij

2015

Biol. J. Linn. Soc.

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Land plants exhibit a wide variety of defences that deter the consumption of leaves and stems, including trichomes (hairs), thorns, and thick cuticles. In many plants, trichomes are hooked or inclined to the leaf or stem surface, and the teeth on leaf margins point either apically or more rarely toward the base. The role of these anisotropic structures as potential defences has been largely ignored. In the present study, it is proposed that apically oriented surface features function as ratchets directing the movements of small herbivores toward the leaf ends and ultimately off the leaf, whereas basally oriented protrusions interfere with the ascent of consumers to the upper parts of the plant. These proposed defencive functions do not exclude other potential benefits of anisotropic features, such as self‐cleaning of surfaces. The proposed defencive role of apically oriented trichomes and teeth may represent an unusual class of physical defences that speed up rather than slow down encounters between enemies and their plant victims.

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“…These leaf adaptations not only provide protection from strong winds and high radiation but also help drain water from their leaf surface, which is important because high leaf wetness caused by persistent fog or rain can suppress plant gas exchange (Aparecido, Miller, Cahill, & Moore, 2017). Other leaf adaptive traits that help maintain gas exchange in high-altitude plants include trichomes, water repellency (Aparecido et al, 2017;Holder, 2007;Rosado, Oliveira, & Aidar, 2010), and drip-tips (leaf drainage; Goldsmith et al, 2016;Malhado et al, 2012). Additionally, some species can take advantage of these leaf wetness events by absorbing water directly though their leaves, which can alleviate the effects of periodic moisture stress on plant functioning (Eller, Lima, & Oliveira, 2013;Goldsmith, Matzke, & Dawson, 2013;Gotsch et al, 2014;Hietz, 2010).…”

Section: Tropical Montane Forestsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecohydrological drivers of Neotropical vegetation in montane ecosystems

et al. 2018

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Montane ecosystems are known for their high numbers of endemic species, unique climate conditions, and wide variety of ecosystem services such as water supply and carbon storage. Although many ecohydrological and climatic studies of montane environments have been carried out in temperate and boreal regions, few have been done in Neotropical regions. Hence, the objective of this review is to synthesize the existing literature on the main factors (biotic and abiotic) that influence vegetation distribution, functional traits, and ecohydrological processes and feedbacks in tropical montane ecosystems and to identify key knowledge gaps. Most of the literature used includes work conducted in Neotropical montane rainforests, cloud forests, and grass/scrublands (e.g., páramos, punas, and campos de altitude/rupestres). Fog is a major climatic attribute in tropical montane habitats. We found that fog regimes (frequency and intensity of fog events) influence both water inputs (i.e., canopy interception and foliar water uptake) and outputs (evapotranspiration) and represent an important driver of local species composition, dominance of plant functional types, and ecological functioning. The stability and conservation of tropical montane ecosystems depends on such ecohydrological fluxes, which are sensitive to increases in air temperature and changing precipitation and fog regimes. Furthermore, to better inform effective conservation and restoration strategies, more work is needed to elucidate how key ecohydrological processes are affected by land use conversion to agriculture and pasture lands, as human activities influence the water budgets in Neotropical montane watersheds not only at regional‐scales but also globally.

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Drip‐tips are Associated with Intensity of Precipitation in the Amazon Rain Forest

Cited by 28 publications

References 43 publications

Variation in leaf wettability traits along a tropical montane elevation gradient

Variation in leaf wettability traits along a tropical montane elevation gradient

Plants that lead: do some surface features direct enemy traffic on leaves and stems?

Ecohydrological drivers of Neotropical vegetation in montane ecosystems

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