Foliar chemistry and standing folivory of early and late-successional species in a Bornean rainforest

Peñuelas, Josep; Sardans, Jordi; Llusia, Joan; Silva, Jorge; Owen, Susan M.; Bala-Ola, Bernadus; Linatoc, Alona C.; Dalimin, Mohamed N.; Niinemets, Ulo. 2013 Foliar chemistry and standing folivory of early and late-successional species in a Bornean rainforest. Plant Ecology and Diversity, 6 (2). 245-256. 10.1080/17550874.2013.768713

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Abstract/Summary

Background: Few studies have investigated the chemical, morphological and physiological foliar traits and the intensity of standing folivory in a representative set of species of tropical rainforests including species of different successional stages. Aims: (i) To quantify leaf elemental composition, leaf phenolics and tannin concentrations, physical leaf traits and the intensity of standing folivory in a representative set of species of different successional stages in a Bornean tropical rainforest, and (ii) to investigate the relationships among leaf traits and between leaf traits and accumulated standing folivory. Methods: Analyses of leaf elemental concentrations, phenolics (Ph) and tannin (Tan) concentrations, leaf mass area (LMA), C assimilation rate and accumulated standing folivory in 88 common rainforest species of Borneo. Results and Conclusions: Accumulated standing folivory was correlated with the scores of the first axis of the elemental concentrations principal component analysis (mainly loaded by K and C:K and N:K ratios) with lower accumulated standing folivory at high leaf K concentrations (R = –0.33, P = 0.0016). The results show that consistent with growth rate hypothesis, fast-growing pioneer species have lower leaf N:P ratios than late-successional species, that species with higher leaf N concentration have lower LMA according with the ‘leaf economics spectrum’ hypothesis, and that species with lower leaf nutrient concentration allocate more C to leaf phenolics. This study also shows that species with different ecological roles have different biogeochemical ‘niches’ assessed as foliar elemental composition.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1080/17550874.2013.768713
Programmes:	CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Biodiversity > BD Topic 2 - Ecological Processes in the Environment > BD - 2.1 - Interactions ... structure ecosystems and their functioning CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Biogeochemistry > BGC Topic 2 - Biogeochemistry and Climate System Processes > BGC - 2.1 - Quantify & model processes that control the emission, fate and bioavailability of pollutants
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Billett (to November 2013)
ISSN:	1755-0874
Additional Keywords:	biogeochemical niche, ecological stoichiometry, foliar elemental concentration, growth rate hypothesis, herbivory, leaf mass area, N:P, phenolics, rainforest, tannins, successional stages, trace elements
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	19 Mar 2013 13:02 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/500153

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