Scaling‐up from leaf to canopy‐aggregate properties in sclerophyll shrub species

Abstract: Plant species vary widely in their average leaf lifespan (LL) and specific leaf area (SLA, leaf area per dry mass). The negative LL–SLA relationship commonly seen among species represents an important evolutionary trade‐off, with higher SLA indicating greater potential for fast growth (higher rate of return on a given investment), but longer LL indicating a longer duration of the revenue stream from that investment. We investigated how these leaf‐economic traits related to aggregate properties of the plant crown. Across 14 Australian sclerophyll shrub species, those with long LL accumulated more leaf mass and leaf area per unit ground area. Light attenuation through their canopies was more severe. Leaf accumulation and light attenuation were more weakly related to SLA than to LL. The greater accumulation of foliage in species with longer LL and lower SLA may counterbalance their generally lower photosynthetic rates and light‐capture areas per gram of leaf.     

Global meta-analysis shows that relationships of leaf mass per area with species shade tolerance depend on leaf habit and ontogeny

It was predicted that relationships of leaf mass per area (LMA) with juvenile shade tolerance will depend on leaf habit, and on whether species are compared at a common age as young seedlings, or at a common size as saplings. A meta-analysis of 47 comparative studies (372 species) was used to test predictions, and the effect of light environment on this relationship. The LMA of evergreens was positively correlated with shade tolerance, irrespective of ontogeny or light environment. The LMA of young seedlings (相似文献   

翅果油树及其群落中7种优势木本种类的叶性特征比较

Taking Elaeagnus mollis Diels and seven dominant woody species in its community from Yicheng County of Shanxi Province as research objects, leaf traits including specific leaf area (SLA), nitrogen content in leaf per unit area ( Narea ) , leaf dry matter content ( LDMC ) and photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency ( PNUE ) were compared, and correlations of SLA value with LDMC and PNUE values were analyzed. The results show that there are different degree variations in four indexes of leaf traits of E. mollis, Vitex negundo var. heterophylla ( Franch.) Rehd., Broussonetia papyrifera ( Linn.) L' Hér. ex Vent., Lespedeza bicolor Turcz., Caragana microphylla Lam., Rosa xanthina Lindl., Amygdalus davidiana ( Carrière) de Vos ex Henry and Periploca sepium Bunge, in which, SLA value with the largest coefficient of variation ( 404%) , and LDMC value with the lowest coefficient of variation ( 103%) . Compared with other tested species, SLA and PNUE values of E. mollis are the lowest ( 103 cm-2 · g-1 and 108 μmol · mol-1 · s-1 , respectively) , while its Narea value is the highest ( 0243 g · m-2 ) , and its LDMC value is also relatively high ( 0380 g·g-1 ) . SLA value of eight tested species show an extremely significant positive correlation ( P<001) with PNUE value, and a significant negative correlation ( P<005 ) with LDMC value, correlation coefficient are 0923 and -0718, respectively, indicating that SLA value is an important parameter of leaf photosynthetic capacity and resource utilization ability. It is suggested that compared with other dominant woody species, E. mollis is more sensitive to environmental change, and has a poor environmental adaptability.     

重庆石灰岩地区主要木本植物叶片性状及养分再吸收特征

以重庆石灰岩地区15种常绿木本植物和14种落叶木本植物为研究对象,对两种生活型植物叶片衰老前后叶干物质含量(LDMC)、比叶面积(SLA)和叶片厚度(LT)进行了比较,并采用不同的计算方法(单位质量叶片养分含量、单位面积叶片养分含量)分析了两类植物叶片衰老前后养分含量及再吸收特征,最后对养分再吸收效率与其他叶性状因子之间的关系进行了相关分析。结果表明:常绿植物成熟叶LDMC、LT及衰老叶LT显著低于落叶植物,落叶植物成熟叶和衰老叶SLA均显著高于常绿植物(P0.05);基于单位质量叶片计算的养分含量,常绿植物成熟和衰老叶N、P量均低于落叶植物,而基于单位面积叶片计算的N、P含量则表现出相反的趋势;基于不同方法计算的N、P再吸收效率差异不明显,其中常绿植物基于单位质量叶片养分含量计算的N、P平均再吸收效率为39.42%、43.79%,落叶植物的为24.08%、33.59%;常绿和落叶植物N、P再吸收效率与LDMC、SLA、LT和成熟叶N、P含量之间没有显著相关性,但与衰老叶养分含量存在显著负相关(P0.05)。研究发现,无论是常绿植物还是落叶植物,衰老叶N、P含量均较低,表明石灰岩地区植物具有较高的养分再吸收程度。     

Variation in ecophysiology and carbon economy of invasive and native woody vines of riparian zones in south‐eastern Queensland

Exotic and invasive woody vines are major environmental weeds of riparian areas, rainforest communities and remnant natural vegetation in coastal eastern Australia, where they smother standing vegetation, including large trees, and cause canopy collapse. We investigated, through glasshouse resource manipulative experiments, the ecophysiological traits that might facilitate faster growth, better resource acquisition and/or utilization and thus dominance of four exotic and invasive vines of South East Queensland, Australia, compared with their native counterparts. Relative growth rate was not significantly different between the two groups but water use efficiency (WUE) was higher in the native species while the converse was observed for light use efficiency (quantum efficiency, AQE) and maximum photosynthesis on a mass basis (). The invasive species, as a group, also exhibited higher respiration load, higher light compensation point and higher specific leaf area. There were stronger correlations of leaf traits and greater structural (but not physiological) plasticity in invasive species than in their native counterparts. The scaling coefficients of resource use efficiencies (WUE, AQE and respiration efficiency) as well as those of fitness (biomass accumulated) versus many of the performance traits examined did not differ between the two species‐origin groups, but there were indications of significant shifts in elevation (intercept values) and shifts along common slopes in many of these relationships – signalling differences in carbon economy (revenue returned per unit energy invested) and/or resource usage. Using ordination and based on 14 ecophysiological attributes, a fair level of separation between the two groups was achieved (51.5% explanatory power), with AQE, light compensation point, respiration load, WUE, specific leaf area and leaf area ratio, in decreasing order, being the main drivers. This study suggests similarity in trait plasticity, especially for physiological traits, but there appear to be fundamental differences in carbon economy and resource conservation between native and invasive vine species.     

四川间作地区作物高度、覆盖度和叶面积指数的动态变化

为研究间作系统的作物参数,于2005年在四川间作地区进行了作物高度、覆盖度和叶面积指数的时间变化研究.结果表明:作物的高度、覆盖度和叶面积指数随时间变化很大;玉米的最大高度是177 cm,最大覆盖度(86%)出现在花期,最大叶面积指数是1.96;红苕的最大和最小株高分别为22和12 cm,最大覆盖度(73%)出现在薯块膨大期,最大叶面积指数为1.79.与玉米间作时,红苕所有作物参数均受玉米影响.在玉米-红苕间作系统中,最危险的侵蚀期是玉米收获后至红苕覆盖度最大期.     

Conventional digital cameras as a tool for assessing leaf area index and biomass for cereal breeding

Affordable and easy-to-use methods for assessing biomass and leaf area index （LAI） would be of interest in most breeding programs. Here, we describe the evaluation of a protocol for photographic sampling and image analysis aimed at providing low-labor yet robust indicators of biomass and LAI. In this trial, two genotypes of triticale, two of bread wheat, and four of tritordeum were studied. At six dates during the growing cycle, biomass and LAI were measured destructively, and digital photography was taken on the same dates. Several vegetation indices were calculated from each image. The results showed that repeatable and consistent values of the indices were obtained in consecutive photographic samplings on the same plots. The photographic indices were highly correlated with the destructive measure-ments, though the magnitude of the correlation was lower after anthesis. This work shows that photographic assess-ment of biomass and LAI can be fast, affordable, have good repeatability, and can be used under bright and overcast skies. A practical vegetation index derived from pictures is the fraction of green pixels over the total pixels of the image, and as it shows good correlations with all biomass variables, is the most robust to lighting conditions and has easy interpretation.     

地形对典型阔叶红松林叶面积指数分布的影响

基于小兴安岭丰林国家级自然保护区阔叶红松林30 hm²监测样地,利用叶面积指数(LAI)与胸高断面积间的经验模型计算样地内主要树种及所有树种的总LAI,研究海拔、坡度、坡向和曲率4种地形因子对LAI分布的影响,以及对LAI分布的综合作用. 结果表明: 4种地形因子对红松、冷杉、紫椴、裂叶榆和五角槭5种主要树种LAI的分布均存在显著影响,而坡向对枫桦LAI的分布存在显著影响;4种地形因子对所有树种总LAI的分布具有显著影响. 将样地划分为山脊、阳坡、山谷阳面、阴坡和山谷阴面5种生境类型.生境类型对所有树种总LAI的分布存在显著影响,其中山脊LAI显著高于其他生境类型,均值为8.85;阳坡的LAI次之,均值为7.62;山谷阳面和阴坡的LAI不存在显著差异;而山谷阴面的LAI最小,均值为4.42.     

Leaf‐IT: An Android application for measuring leaf area

The use of plant functional traits has become increasingly popular in ecological studies because plant functional traits help to understand key ecological processes in plant species and communities. This also includes changes in diversity, inter‐ and intraspecific interactions, and relationships of species at different spatiotemporal scales. Leaf traits are among the most important traits as they describe key dimensions of a plant's life history strategy. Further, leaf area is a key parameter with relevance for other traits such as specific leaf area, which in turn correlates with leaf chemical composition, photosynthetic rate, leaf longevity, and carbon investment. Measuring leaf area usually involves the use of scanners and commercial software and can be difficult under field conditions. We present Leaf‐IT, a new smartphone application for measuring leaf area and other trait‐related areas. Leaf‐IT is free, designed for scientific purposes, and runs on Android 4 or higher. We tested the precision and accuracy using objects with standardized area and compared the area measurements of real leaves with the well‐established, commercial software WinFOLIA using the Altman–Bland method. Area measurements of standardized objects show that Leaf‐IT measures area with high accuracy and precision. Area measurements with Leaf‐IT of real leaves are comparable to those of WinFOLIA. Leaf‐IT is an easy‐to‐use application running on a wide range of smartphones. That increases the portability and use of Leaf‐IT and makes it possible to measure leaf area under field conditions typical for remote locations. Its high accuracy and precision are similar to WinFOLIA. Currently, its main limitation is margin detection of damaged leaves or complex leaf morphologies.     

Stem diameter growth rates in a fire‐prone savanna correlate with photosynthetic rate and branch‐scale biomass allocation,but not specific leaf area

Plant growth rates strongly determine ecosystem productivity and are a central element of plant ecological strategies. For laboratory and glasshouse‐grown seedlings, specific leaf area (SLA; ratio of leaf area to mass) is a key driver of interspecific variation in growth rate (GR). Consequently, SLA is often assumed to drive GR variation in field‐grown adult plants. However, there is an increasing evidence that this is not the general case. This suggests that GR – SLA relationships (and perhaps those for other traits) may vary depending on the age or size of the plants being studied. Here we investigated GR – trait relationships and their size dependence among 17 woody species from an open‐canopy, fire‐prone savanna in northern Australia. We tested the predictions that SLA and stem diameter growth rate would be positively correlated in saplings but unrelated in adults while, in both age classes, faster‐GR species would have higher light‐saturated photosynthetic rate (A_sat), higher leaf nutrient concentrations, higher branch‐scale biomass allocation to leaf versus stem tissues and lower wood density (WD). SLA showed no relationship to stem diameter GR, even in saplings, and the same was true of leaf N and P concentrations, and WD. However, branch‐scale leaf:stem allocation was strongly related to GR in both age groups, as was A_sat. Together, these two traits accounted for up to 80% of interspecific variation in adult GR, and 41% of sapling GR. A_sat is rarely measured in field‐based GR studies, and this is the first report of branch‐scale leaf:stem allocation (analogous to a benefit:cost ratio) in relation to plant growth rate. Our results suggest that we may yet find general trait‐drivers of field growth rates, but SLA will not be one.     

Global synthesis of leaf area index observations: implications for ecological and remote sensing studies

Aim We present the first global synthesis of plant canopy leaf area index (LAI) measurements from more than 1000 published estimates representing ～400 unique field sites. LAI is a key variable for regional and global models of biosphere‐atmosphere exchanges of energy, carbon dioxide, water vapour, and other materials. Location The location is global, geographically distributed. Results Biomes with LAI values well represented in the literature included croplands, forests and plantations. Biomes not well represented were deserts, shrublands, tundra and wetlands. Nearly 40% of the records in the database were published in the past 10 years (1991–2000), with a further 20% collected between 1981 and 1990. Mean (± SD) LAI, distributed between 15 biome classes, ranged from 1.3 ± 0.9 for deserts to 8.7 ± 4.3 for tree plantations, with temperate evergreen forests (needleleaf and broadleaf) displaying the highest average LAI (5.1–6.7) among the natural terrestrial vegetation classes. Following a statistical outlier analysis, the global mean (± SD) LAI decreased from 5.2 (4.1) to 4.5 (2.5), with a maximum LAI of 18. Biomes with the highest LAI values were plantations > temperate evergreen forests > wetlands. Those with the lowest LAI values were deserts < grasslands < tundra. Mean LAI values for all biomes did not differ statistically by the methodology employed. Direct and indirect measurement approaches produced similar LAI results. Mean LAI values for all biomes combined decreased significantly in the 1990s, a period of substantially more studies and improved methodologies. Main conclusions Applications of the LAI database span a wide range of ecological, biogeochemical, physical, and climate research areas. The data provide input to terrestrial ecosystem and land‐surface models, for evaluation of global remote sensing products, for comparisons to field studies, and other applications. Example uses of the database for global plant productivity, fractional energy absorption, and remote sensing studies are highlighted.     

Estimation of plant and leaf area index using three techniques in a mature native eucalypt canopy

Abstract Leaf area index (L) is a critical variable in monitoring and modelling forest condition and growth and is therefore important for foresters and environmental scientists to measure routinely and accurately. We compared three different methods for estimating L: a plant canopy analyser (PCA), a point‐quadrat camera method and digital hemispherical photography at a native eucalypt forest canopy at Tumbarumba in southern New South Wales, Australia. All of these methods produced indirect estimates of L based on the close coupling between radiation penetration and canopy structure. The individual L estimates were compared, and the potential advantages and disadvantages of each method were discussed in relation to use in forest inventory and in field data collection programmes for remote sensing calibration and verification. The comparison indicated that all three methods, PCA, digital hemispherical photography and the modified point‐quadrat camera method, produced similar estimates with a standard error between techniques of less than 0.2 L units. All methods, however, provided biased estimates of L and calibration is required to derive true stand L. A key benefit, however, of all of these estimation methods is that observations can be collected in a short period of time (1–2 h of field‐work per plot).     

基于数码相片Gamma校正的水稻叶面积指数估算

随着数码相机的日益普及,利用数码相机进行作物叶面积指数(LAI)测量不断得以应用。由于数码相机成像时会对入射光辐射强度进行Gamma编码变换,输出的相片DN(Digital Number)值与入射光辐射强度呈非线性关系,会造成在确定相片中植被叶片与背景的分割阈值时出现误差,并最终导致LAI估算存在较大不确定性。以水稻为研究对象,获取不同生长期水稻冠层相片并结合同步LAI 2000测量的LAI数据,基于相片Gamma校正原理,对水稻不同生长期冠层相片进行Gamma校正,在此基础上利用冠层孔隙率方法,估算不同生长期水稻LAI。结果表明,经过Gamma校正相片估算的水稻LAI总体精度有显著提高,相片估算的IMAGE LAI与LAI-2000测量值比较的决定系数达到0.71(P0.05)。在整个观测期内,两种方法观测的LAI值在时间变化趋势上表现一致,但在不同生长期内存在差别,在水稻分蘖期和拔节期相片估算的IMAGE LAI要高于LAI-2000测量值,孕穗期到抽穗期期间IMAGE LAI低于LAI-2000测量值,乳熟期到成熟期IMAGE LAI又高于LAI-2000的观测结果。     

Satellite‐derived estimates of forest leaf area index in southwest Western Australia are not tightly coupled to interannual variations in rainfall: implications for groundwater decline in a drying climate

There is increasing concern that widespread forest decline could occur in regions of the world where droughts are predicted to increase in frequency and severity as a result of climate change. The average annual leaf area index (LAI) is an indicator of canopy cover and the difference between the annual maximum and minimum LAI is an indicator of annual leaf turnover. In this study, we analyzed satellite‐derived estimates of monthly LAI across forested coastal catchments of southwest Western Australia over a 12 year period (2000–2011) that included the driest year on record for the last 60 years. We observed that over the 12 year study period, the spatial pattern of average annual satellite‐derived LAI values was linearly related to mean annual rainfall. However, interannual changes to LAI in response to changes in annual rainfall were far less than expected from the long‐term LAI‐rainfall trend. This buffered response was investigated using a physiological growth model and attributed to availability of deep soil moisture and/or groundwater storage. The maintenance of high LAIs may be linked to a long‐term decline in areal average underground water storage and diminished summer flows, with an emerging trend toward more ephemeral flow regimes.     

Simulation of leaf area development based on dry matter partitioning and specific leaf area for cut chrysanthemum

This work aims to predict time courses of leaf area index (LAI) based on dry matter partitioning into the leaves and on specific leaf area of newly formed leaf biomass (SLA(n)) for year-round cut chrysanthemum crops. In five glasshouse experiments, each consisting of several plant densities and planted throughout the year, periodic destructive measurements were conducted to develop empirical models for partitioning and for SLA(n). Dry matter partitioning into leaves, calculated as incremental leaf dry mass divided by incremental shoot dry mass between two destructive harvests, could be described accurately (R(2 )= 0.93) by a Gompertz function of relative time, R(t). R(t) is 0 at planting date, 1 at the start of short-days, and 2 at final harvest. SLA(n), calculated as the slope of a linear regression between periodic measurements of leaf dry mass (LDM) and LAI, showed a significant linear increase with the inverse of the daily incident photosynthetically active radiation (incident PAR, MJ m(-2 )d(-1)), averaged over the whole growing period, the average glasshouse temperature and plant density (R(2 )= 0.74). The models were validated by two independent experiments and with data from three commercial growers, each with four planting dates. Measured shoot dry mass increase, initial LAI and LDM, plant density, daily temperature and incident PAR were input into the model. Dynamics of LDM and LAI were predicted accurately by the model, although in the last part of the cultivation LAI was often overestimated. The slope of the linear regression of simulated against measured LDM varied between 0.95 and 1.09. For LAI this slope varied between 1.01 and 1.12. The models presented in this study are important for the development of a photosynthesis-driven crop growth model for cut chrysanthemum crops.