IMBIV   05474
INSTITUTO MULTIDISCIPLINARIO DE BIOLOGIA VEGETAL
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
artículos
Título:
Global patterns of leaf mechanical properties
Autor/es:
ONODA, Y.; WESTOBY M.; ADLER,P.B.; CHOONG,A.M.F.; CLISSOLD,F.J.; CORNELISSEN, J.H.C.; DÍAZ S. ; ET AL.
Revista:
ECOLOGY LETTERS
Editorial:
WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC
Referencias:
Año: 2011 vol. 14 p. 301 - 312
ISSN:
1461-023X
Resumen:
AbstractLeaf mechanical properties strongly influence leaf lifespan, plant–herbivore interactions, litter decomposition and nutrient cycling, but global patterns in their interspecific variation and underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We synthesize data across the three major measurement methods, permitting the first global analyses of leaf mechanics and associated traits, for 2819 species from 90 sites worldwide. Key measures of leaf mechanical resistance varied c. 500–800-fold among species. Contrary to a long-standing hypothesis, tropical leaves were not mechanically more resistant than temperate leaves. Leaf mechanical resistance was modestlyrelated to rainfall and local light environment. By partitioning leaf mechanical resistance into three different components we discovered that toughness per density contributed a surprisingly large fraction to variation in mechanical resistance, larger than the fractions contributed by lamina thickness and tissue density. Higher toughness per density was associated with long leaf lifespan especially in forest understory. Seldom appreciated in the past, toughness per density is a key factor in leaf mechanical resistance, which itself influences plant–animal interactions and ecosystem functions across the globe.