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Leaf hydraulic vulnerability influences species' bioclimatic limits in a diverse group of woody angiosperms

The ability of plants to maintain water flow through leaves under water stress-induced tension (assessed as the leaf hydraulic vulnerability; P50leaf) is intimately linked with survival. We examined the significance of P50leaf as an adaptive trait in influencing the dry-end distributional limits of cool temperate woody angiosperm species. We also examined differences in within-site variability in P50leaf between two high-rainfall montane rainforest sites in Tasmania and Peru, respectively. A significant relationship between P50leaf and the 5th percentile of mean annual rainfall across each species distribution was found in Tasmania, suggesting that P50leaf influences species climatic limits. Furthermore, a strong correlation between P50leaf and the minimum rainfall availability was found using five phylogenetically independent species pairs in wet and dry evergreen tree species, suggesting that rainfall is an important selective agent in the evolution of leaf hydraulic vulnerability. Greater within-site variability in P50leaf was found among dominant montane rainforest species in Tasmania than in Peru and this result is discussed within the context of differences in spatial and temporal environmental heterogeneity and parochial historical ecology.

History

Publication title

Oecologia

Volume

168

Pagination

1-10

ISSN

0029-8549

Department/School

School of Natural Sciences

Publisher

Springer-Verlag

Place of publication

175 Fifth Ave, New York, USA, Ny, 10010

Rights statement

Copyright © 2011, Springer-Verlag The final publication is available at http://www.springerlink.com

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Terrestrial biodiversity

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