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Height-related changes in leaf photosynthetic traits in diverse Bornean tropical rain forest trees

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Abstract

Knowledge of variations in morphophysiological leaf traits with forest height is essential for quantifying carbon and water fluxes from forest ecosystems. Here, we examined changes in leaf traits with forest height in diverse tree species and their role in environmental acclimation in a tropical rain forest in Borneo that does not experience dry spells. Height-related changes in leaf physiological and morphological traits [e.g., maximum photosynthetic rate (A max), stomatal conductance (gs), dark respiration rate (R d), carbon isotope ratio (δ 13C), nitrogen (N) content, and leaf mass per area (LMA)] from understory to emergent trees were investigated in 104 species in 29 families. We found that many leaf area-based physiological traits (e.g., A max-area, R d, gs), N, δ 13C, and LMA increased linearly with tree height, while leaf mass-based physiological traits (e.g., A max-mass) only increased slightly. These patterns differed from other biomes such as temperate and tropical dry forests, where trees usually show decreased photosynthetic capacity (e.g., A max-area, A max-mass) with height. Increases in photosynthetic capacity, LMA, and δ 13C are favored under bright and dry upper canopy conditions with higher photosynthetic productivity and drought tolerance, whereas lower R d and LMA may improve shade tolerance in lower canopy trees. Rapid recovery of leaf midday water potential to theoretical gravity potential during the night supports the idea that the majority of trees do not suffer from strong drought stress. Overall, leaf area-based photosynthetic traits were associated with tree height and the degree of leaf drought stress, even in diverse tropical rain forest trees.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the Forest Department, Sarawak, and to Prof. T. Nakashizuka for their kind support of this study. Prof. M. Suzuki, Dr. K. Kuraji, and Dr. T. Kumagai gave us the climate data. This research was partly supported by a grant from the Core Research for Environmental Science and Technology program of the Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST), by a Grant-in-Aid for scientific research (No. 16310017, No. 24405032, No. 24688017) from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Japan and by the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund (RF-1010, S-9) of the Ministry of the Environment, Japan.

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Correspondence to Tanaka Kenzo.

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Communicated by Ülo Niinemets.

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Kenzo, T., Inoue, Y., Yoshimura, M. et al. Height-related changes in leaf photosynthetic traits in diverse Bornean tropical rain forest trees. Oecologia 177, 191–202 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-014-3126-0

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