Global climatic drivers of leaf size

Wright, Ian J.; Dong, Ning; Maire, Vincent; Prentice, Iain Colin; Westoby, Mark; Dı́az, Sandra; Gallagher, Rachael V.; Jacobs, Bonnie F.; Kooyman, Robert M.; Law, Elizabeth A.; Leishman, Michelle R.; Niinemets, Ülo; Reich, Peter B.; Sack, Lawren; Villar, Rafael; Wang, Han; Wilf, Peter

doi:10.1126/science.aal4760

Cited by 673 publications

(761 citation statements)

References 162 publications

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“…Together these results suggest that regional filtering resulting from lower precipitation is stronger on leaf area than on wood density, for which range was not affected. This in agreement with the global negative correlation between leaf size and precipitation, which is stronger for woody species (Wright et al., ). Indeed, reduced leaf size limits transpiration surface, which decreases the risk of drought‐induced cavitation (Baraloto et al., ; Pickup, Westoby, & Basden, ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Regional rainfall and local topography jointly drive tree community assembly in lowland tropical forests of New Caledonia

Blanchard

Munoz

Ibanez

et al. 2019

J Vegetation Science

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Aim To understand how variations in precipitation and topographic wetness influence tree community assembly at both regional and landscape scales in tropical forests. Location New Caledonia (SW Pacific). Methods We sampled 40 tree communities in 0.04‐ha plots laid along topographic gradients within two landscapes with contrasting precipitation. Within a dry (<1,400 mm/year) and a wet (>2,500 mm/year) landscape we used the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) to sample communities in topographic position with low (e.g., ridges) and high (e.g., valleys) water accumulation. For each sampled species, we measured five functional traits involved in drought resistance and resource acquisition (wood density, leaf area, leaf specific area, leaf dry matter content, and leaf thickness). We first examined trait covariation across species. We then analysed how the functional composition of communities varied between landscapes (according to precipitation) and within landscapes (according to TWI), using trait‐based statistics and null models. Results We identified two ecological trade‐offs driving trait variation across species: (i) one opposing high hydraulic efficiency to drought resistance, related to a wood economic spectrum; and (ii) the other opposing resource acquisition to resource conservation, related to a leaf economic spectrum. Across landscapes, species with drought resistance strategies were favoured at lower precipitation. Within landscapes, drought resistant species were selected under low TWI in the dry landscape, while low TWI increased the abundance of species with conservative strategies in the wet landscape. Conclusions Precipitation and topography jointly shape the functional composition of tree communities. At low precipitation, hydric constraints prevailed on ridges and upslopes by filtering drought resistant strategies along the wood economic spectrum. Contrastingly, higher precipitation relaxed the hydric constraints and resource availability became a primary driver of changing strategies along the leaf economic spectrum. Thus, the landscape scale influence of topography on processes driving community assembly and functional composition critically depends on the regional climatic context.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Regional rainfall and local topography jointly drive tree community assembly in lowland tropical forests of New Caledonia

Blanchard

Munoz

Ibanez

et al. 2019

J Vegetation Science

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“…Two major clades splitting V. taritubensis (green, yellow and blue) and V. incurvata (red) specimens are recovered. Our results contrast to the pattern of a decrease in size at sites with lower rainfall and hotter temperatures with increased irradiance (Peppe et al, 2011;Ribeiro et al, 2016;Wright et al, 2017), but is consistent if interpreted in a more comprehensive way regarding plant architecture. For localities number see Table S1 in Appendix S2 [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com] global assessment of climatic drivers of leaf size demonstrated no effective thermal constraint acting in warm and ever-wet tropical climates, as sufficient water is commonly available for transpirational cooling and plants are not exposed to frost damage (Wright et al, 2017).…”

Section: F I G U R E 4 (A) Principal Componentsupporting

confidence: 67%

“…The size and shape of leaves have been widely associated with temperature and moisture variables (Nicotra et al, 2011;Royer, Wilf, Janesko, Kowalski, & Dilcher, 2005;Wright et al, 2017). A TA B L E 2 Pairwise genetic divergence (F ST values) for Vriesea incurvata complex species based on plastid sequence data (trnL-trnF + matK) F I G U R E 5 Maximum Clade Credibility tree from BEAST based on trnL-trnF and matK sequences with posterior probabilities above 0.8 shown for the main clades.…”

Section: F I G U R E 4 (A) Principal Componentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Floral bracts can have a variety of colours, shapes and scents decisive to reproductive success, besides their function to protect the flowers and therefore are often more conserved than leaves (Pélabon, Armbruster, & Hansen, 2011). Unlike the poorly studied floral bracts, leaves present a well-known pattern, where small-sized leaves are often found in dry and hot places, as well as at high latitudes and elevations to avoid transpirational water loss, while large sized leaves are typical of high humidity and warm conditions (Wright et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Drivers of bromeliad leaf and floral bract variation across a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic Forest

Neves

Zanella

Kessous

et al. 2019

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim: Understanding the complex interaction and relative contributions of factors involved in species and trait diversification is crucial to gain insights into the evolution of Neotropical biodiversity. Here, we investigated the drivers of morphological variation in bromeliads along a latitudinal gradient in a biodiversity hotspot. Location: Atlantic Forest, Brazil.Taxon: A species complex in the genus Vriesea (Bromeliaceae). Methods:We measured shape and size variation for 208 floral bracts and 176 leaves in individuals from 14 localities using geometric morphometrics. We compiled data for two chloroplast regions (matK and trnL-F) from 89 individuals to assess genetic diversity, population structure and phylogenetic relationships. We tested the influence of climate, altitude and genetic distance on morphological traits using linear statistical models.Results: Temperature seasonality is a main driver of floral bract shape. Together with precipitation, it also explains changes in leaf size across the latitudinal gradient. Shifts in morphological traits are correlated with genetic structure and partly support the recent taxonomic delimitation proposed for the species complex. The species started to diversify in the Pliocene ca. 5 Mya. We detected a phylogeographical break in species distribution into northern and southern clades between the Bocaina region and the southern portion of the Atlantic Forest. Main Conclusions:We identify how geography and environmental changes through time shape floral bracts and leaves in similar ways. At highly seasonal sites with lower annual precipitation (in the southern subtropical portion of the Atlantic Forest), leaves are larger and floral bracts are wide-elliptic, making them better suited for increased water accumulation. In contrast, at less seasonal sites (in the tropical north, where rainfall is more abundant and temperatures are higher), leaves are narrower and floral bracts are lanceolate-shaped, facilitating water drainage. The biogeographical break we identified suggests a role of tectonic activity and climatic oscillations in promoting species divergence and diversification.

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“…Notably, mean trait values of Westoby's (1998) LHS scheme (SLA, plant height and seed mass) were related to niche optima along climatic gradients of aridity and T min . Moreover, SLA is a highly context-dependent trait, and climate-leaf size relationships are not necessarily universal (e.g., Adler et al, 2014;Wright et al, 2017). The seemingly counter-intuitive positive effect of SLA on the aridity optimum might be driven, in part, by temperature; thinner, narrower leaves have a thinner boundary layer that limits water loss and facilitates cooling by increasing transpiration rates (Yates, Verboom, Rebelo, & Cramer, 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional traits explain the Hutchinsonian niches of plant species

Treurnicht

Pagel

Tonnabel

et al. 2019

Global Ecol Biogeogr

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Aim:The Hutchinsonian niche is a foundational concept in ecology and evolutionary biology that describes fundamental characteristics of any species: the global maximum population growth rate (r max ); the niche optimum (the environment for which r max is reached); and the niche width (the environmental range for which intrinsic population growth rates are positive). We examine whether these characteristics are related to inter-and intraspecific variation in functional traits.Location: Cape Floristic Region, South Africa. Time period: Present day.Major taxa studied: Twenty-six plant species (Proteaceae). Methods:We measured leaf, plant-architectural and seed traits across species geographical ranges. We then examined how species-mean traits are related to demographically derived niche characteristics of r max , in addition to niche optima and widths in five environmental dimensions, and how intraspecific trait variation is related to niche widths. Results:Interspecific trait variation generally exceeded range-wide intraspecific trait variation. Species-mean trait values were associated with variation in r max (R 2 = 0.27) but were more strongly related to niche optima (mean R 2 = 0.56). These relationships generally matched trait-environment associations described in the literature. Both species-mean traits and intraspecific trait variability were strongly related to niche widths (R 2 = 0.66 and 0.59, respectively). Moreover, niche widths increased with intraspecific trait variability. Overall, the different niche characteristics were associated with few, largely non-overlapping sets of traits. Main conclusions:Our study relating functional traits to Hutchinsonian niches demonstrates that key demographic properties of species relate to few traits with relatively strong effects. Our results further support the hypothesis that intraspecific trait variation increases species niche widths. Given that niche characteristics were related to distinct sets of traits, different aspects of environmental change might affect axes of trait variation independently. Trait-based studies of Hutchinsonian | 535 TREURNICHT ET al.

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Global climatic drivers of leaf size

Cited by 673 publications

References 162 publications

Regional rainfall and local topography jointly drive tree community assembly in lowland tropical forests of New Caledonia

Regional rainfall and local topography jointly drive tree community assembly in lowland tropical forests of New Caledonia

Drivers of bromeliad leaf and floral bract variation across a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic Forest

Functional traits explain the Hutchinsonian niches of plant species

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