Leaf trait plasticity in six forest tree species of central Amazonia

• Published in: Photosynthetica Vol. 55; no. 4; pp. 679 - 688
• Main Authors: Marenco, R. A., Camargo, M. A. B., Antezana-Vera, S. A., Oliveira, M. F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Praha The Institute of Experimental Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences 01-12-2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Canopies; Carbon dioxide; Leaves; Life Sciences; Ontogeny; Original Papers; Photosynthesis; Plant Physiology; Plasticity; Plasticity index; Rainforests; Species; Stomata; Trees; Understory; gas exchange
• ISSN: 0300-3604; 1573-9058
• DOI: 10.1007/s11099-017-0703-6

Tropical rainforest trees adjust leaf traits during ontogeny to cope with changes in the physical environment and maximize their carbon uptake. The aim of this study was to determine the plasticity index (P
I
) of leaf traits in understory and canopy leaves of six Amazonian tree species. In four of the six species the P
I
of leaf traits varied within species, and in four of the ten leaf traits assessed, the P
I
differed between species. The greatest P
I
values were found for stomatal density (D
s
) and CO
2
-saturated photosynthesis, and the lowest ones were found for stomatal size, and leaf thickness. Despite the differences in P
I
values within species, the mean P
I
was similar in all the six species. As the saplings grow toward the canopy, the strategy to increase carbon uptake involves increasing D
s
and leaf nitrogen and reducing stomatal size.