Andrew J. Muehleisen, Naomi B. Schwartz, Simon M. Stump, A. Carla Staver
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
In tropical forests, deciduous and evergreen leaf habits represent contrasting tree adaptations to precipitation seasonality. Both rainfall seasonality and interannual variation in rainfall are determinants of forest deciduousness, but their relative influence is not well understood. In this study, we evaluate the extent of deciduous-evergreen coexistence in tropical forests and develop a simple model of competition for water between leaf habits. Using this model, we formalize two mechanisms representing rainfall variability across time scales that may explain their stable coexistence: the temporal storage effect via interannual variability in rainfall vs. rainfall partitioning via evergreen access to dry-season rainfall. In our model, both mechanisms resulted in coexistence, but coexistence was more robust via resource partitioning. Empirically, remotely sensed deciduousness increased with precipitation seasonality, but effects of interannual rainfall variability on deciduousness were minor. We hypothesize that dry-season rainfall may prove a stronger influence on coexistence between leaf habits, and that changes in rainfall seasonality will have a greater impact on forest deciduousness than changes in the interannual variability of rainfall.
期刊介绍:
Accounts of Chemical Research presents short, concise and critical articles offering easy-to-read overviews of basic research and applications in all areas of chemistry and biochemistry. These short reviews focus on research from the author’s own laboratory and are designed to teach the reader about a research project. In addition, Accounts of Chemical Research publishes commentaries that give an informed opinion on a current research problem. Special Issues online are devoted to a single topic of unusual activity and significance.
Accounts of Chemical Research replaces the traditional article abstract with an article "Conspectus." These entries synopsize the research affording the reader a closer look at the content and significance of an article. Through this provision of a more detailed description of the article contents, the Conspectus enhances the article's discoverability by search engines and the exposure for the research.