1
|
Menezes J, Garcia S, Grandis A, Nascimento H, Domingues TF, Guedes AV, Aleixo I, Camargo P, Campos J, Damasceno A, Dias-Silva R, Fleischer K, Kruijt B, Cordeiro AL, Martins NP, Meir P, Norby RJ, Pereira I, Portela B, Rammig A, Ribeiro AG, Lapola DM, Quesada CA. Changes in leaf functional traits with leaf age: when do leaves decrease their photosynthetic capacity in Amazonian trees? TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 42:922-938. [PMID: 33907798 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpab042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Most leaf functional trait studies in the Amazon basin do not consider ontogenetic variations (leaf age), which may influence ecosystem productivity throughout the year. When leaf age is taken into account, it is generally considered discontinuous, and leaves are classified into age categories based on qualitative observations. Here, we quantified age-dependent changes in leaf functional traits such as the maximum carboxylation rate of ribulose-1,5-biphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) (Vcmax), stomatal control (Cgs%), leaf dry mass per area and leaf macronutrient concentrations for nine naturally growing Amazon tropical trees with variable phenological strategies. Leaf ages were assessed by monthly censuses of branch-level leaf demography; we also performed leaf trait measurements accounting for leaf chronological age based on days elapsed since the first inclusion in the leaf demography, not predetermined age classes. At the tree community scale, a nonlinear relationship between Vcmax and leaf age existed: young, developing leaves showed the lowest mean photosynthetic capacity, increasing to a maximum at 45 days and then decreasing gradually with age in both continuous and categorical age group analyses. Maturation times among species and phenological habits differed substantially, from 8 ± 30 to 238 ± 30 days, and the rate of decline of Vcmax varied from -0.003 to -0.065 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1 day-1. Stomatal control increased significantly in young leaves but remained constant after peaking. Mass-based phosphorus and potassium concentrations displayed negative relationships with leaf age, whereas nitrogen did not vary temporally. Differences in life strategies, leaf nutrient concentrations and phenological types, not the leaf age effect alone, may thus be important factors for understanding observed photosynthesis seasonality in Amazonian forests. Furthermore, assigning leaf age categories in diverse tree communities may not be the recommended method for studying carbon uptake seasonality in the Amazon, since the relationship between Vcmax and leaf age could not be confirmed for all trees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Menezes
- Tropical Forest Sciences Graduate Program, National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Sabrina Garcia
- Laboratory of Biogeochemical Sciences, National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas 69067-375, Brazil
| | - Adriana Grandis
- Laboratory of Physiology and Ecology of Plants (Lafieco), Department of Botany, Biosciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Henrique Nascimento
- Biodiversity Coordination (CBIO), National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas 69067-375, Brazil
| | - Tomas F Domingues
- Department of Biology-FFCLRP, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo 14040-901, Brazil
| | - Alacimar V Guedes
- Forestry and Environmental Sciences Graduate Program (PPGCIFA), Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas 69067-005, Brazil
| | - Izabela Aleixo
- Laboratory of Biogeochemical Sciences, National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas 69067-375, Brazil
| | - Plínio Camargo
- Isotopic Ecology Laboratory of the Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (CENA), University of Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, Sao Paulo 13416-000, Brazil
| | - Jéssica Campos
- Tropical Forest Sciences Graduate Program, National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Amanda Damasceno
- Ecology Graduate Program, National Institute of Amazonian Research, Manaus, Amazonas 69067-375, Brazil
| | - Renann Dias-Silva
- Zoology Graduate Program, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas 69067-005, Brazil
| | - Katrin Fleischer
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising 85354, Germany
| | - Bart Kruijt
- Wageningen University & Research, 6700 AA PO Box 47 PB Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Amanda L Cordeiro
- Tropical Forest Sciences Graduate Program, National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1476
| | - Nathielly P Martins
- Tropical Forest Sciences Graduate Program, National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Patrick Meir
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University (ANU), Canberra 2601, Australia
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FF, UK
| | - Richard J Norby
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Iokanam Pereira
- Tropical Forest Sciences Graduate Program, National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Bruno Portela
- Laboratory of Biogeochemical Sciences, National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas 69067-375, Brazil
| | - Anja Rammig
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising 85354, Germany
| | - Ana Gracy Ribeiro
- Tropical Forest Sciences Graduate Program, National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - David M Lapola
- Center for Meteorological and Climatic Research Applied to Agriculture (CEPAGRI), University of Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-886, Brazil
| | - Carlos A Quesada
- Environmental Dynamics Coordination (CDAM), National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas 69067-375, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Xu X, Medvigy D, Joseph Wright S, Kitajima K, Wu J, Albert LP, Martins GA, Saleska SR, Pacala SW. Variations of leaf longevity in tropical moist forests predicted by a trait‐driven carbon optimality model. Ecol Lett 2017; 20:1097-1106. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangtao Xu
- Department of Geosciences Princeton University Princeton NJ08544 USA
| | - David Medvigy
- Department of Geosciences Princeton University Princeton NJ08544 USA
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Notre Dame Notre Dame IN46556 USA
| | | | - Kaoru Kitajima
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado Balboa0843‐03092 Panama
- Graduate School of Agriculture Kyoto University Kyoto606‐8502 Japan
| | - Jin Wu
- Environmental & Climate Sciences Department Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton New York NY11973 USA
| | - Loren P. Albert
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona Tucson AZ85721 USA
| | | | - Scott R. Saleska
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona Tucson AZ85721 USA
| | - Stephen W. Pacala
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton NJ08544 USA
| |
Collapse
|