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Leaf attributes in the seasonally dry tropics: a comparison of four habitats in northern Australia
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-16, 19:44 authored by Lynda PriorLynda Prior, Eamus, D, David BowmanDavid Bowman1. Patterns of leaf attributes were compared at regional and global scales in relation to the seasonal availability of water. 2. Light-saturated assimilation rate (Amass), leaf mass per area (LMA), leaf density, thickness, life span, saturated water content, chlorophyll, nitrogen and phosphorus content were determined during the wet season for 21 tree species in four contrasting habitats in northern Australia. Rainfall in this area is extremely seasonal. 3. Amass and foliar chlorophyll, N and P contents were positively correlated with each other, and were all negatively correlated with LMA, leaf thickness, density and life span. 4. Deciduous species had smaller LMA and leaf life span, and larger foliar N and P contents than did evergreen species. 5. The eight Myrtaceous species had smaller A mass, foliar chlorophyll, N and P contents, and larger LMA, leaf thickness and leaf life span than did the non-Myrtaceous species. 6. Leaves from the closed canopy dry monsoon forest had significantly larger A mass, chlorophyll and P contents than did leaves from the three open canopy habitats (eucalypt open forest, mixed woodland and Melaleuca swamp). This reflected the relatively low proportions of evergreen and Myrtaceous species in the dry monsoon forest. There were also significant intraspecific differences among habitats. 7. Leaf thickness, density and LMA were lower than predicted from globally derived relationships with temperature and precipitation. Tropical seasonally dry biomes are under-represented in such global analyses.
History
Publication title
Functional EcologyVolume
17Issue
4Pagination
504-515ISSN
0269-8463Department/School
School of Natural SciencesPublisher
Blackwell PublishingPlace of publication
OxfordRights statement
© 2003 British Ecological Society The definitive published version is available online at: http://www.interscience.wiley.comRepository Status
- Restricted