Foliar and wood traits covary along a vertical gradient within the crown of long-lived light-demanding species of the congo basin semi-deciduous forest - 2020
Foliar and wood traits covary along a vertical gradient within the crown of long-lived light-demanding species of the congo basin semi-deciduous forest
Kafuti, Chadrack; Bourland, Nils; De Mil, Tomet al.
Leaf traits; Pericopsis elata; Tradeoff; Trait-based ecology; Tropical rainforest; Water deficit; Wood traits; Tropical rain forest; Water deficits; Forestry
Abstract :
[en] Plant functional traits have shown to be relevant predictors of forest functional responses to climate change. However, the trait-based approach to study plant performances and ecological strategies has mostly been focused on trait comparisons at the interspecific and intraspecific levels. In this study, we analyzed traits variation and association at the individual level. We measured wood and leaf traits at different height locations within the crown of five individuals of Pericopsis elata (Harms) Meeuwen (Fabaceae) from the northern tropical forest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. All traits varied between and within individuals. The between-individual variation was more important for leaf traits (23%-48%) than for wood traits (~10%) where the within-individual variation showed to be more important (33%-39%). The sample location height within the crown was found to be the driving factor of this within-individual variation. In a gradient from the base to the top of the crown, theoretical specific hydraulic conductivity and specific leaf area decreased while the stomatal density increased. We found significant relationships among traits and between wood and leaf traits. However, these relationships varied with the position within the crown. The relationship between vessel size and vessel density was negative at the bottom part of the crown but positive upward. Also, the negative relationship between stomatal density and stomatal size became stronger with increasing height within the crown. Finally, the positive relationship between specific leaf area and theoretical specific hydraulic conductivity became stronger in higher parts of the crown, suggesting that P. elata constantly adapts its water use with respect to its water supply, more strongly at the top of the crown where the environment is more extreme and less buffered against environmental fluctuations.
Kafuti, Chadrack; Department of Environment, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium ; Royal Museum for Central Africa, Service of Wood Biology, Tervuren, Belgium ; Department of Natural Resources Management, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa XI, Congo
Bourland, Nils ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Forêts, Nature et Paysage > Laboratoire de Foresterie des régions tropicales et subtropicales ; Royal Museum for Central Africa, Service of Wood Biology, Tervuren, Belgium ; Center for International Forestry Research, Situ Gede, Sindang Barang, Bogor, Indonesia ; Resources and Synergies Development Pte Ltd., Hong Leong Building, Singapore
De Mil, Tom ; Université de Liège - ULiège > TERRA Research Centre > Gestion des ressources forestières
Rousseau, Mélissa; Royal Museum for Central Africa, Service of Wood Biology, Tervuren, Belgium
Toirambe, Benjamin; Royal Museum for Central Africa, Service of Wood Biology, Tervuren, Belgium
Bolaluembe, Papy-Claude; Department of Natural Resources Management, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa XI, Congo
Ndjele, Léopold; Department of Ecology and Fauna Resources Management, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, Congo
Beeckman, Hans ; Royal Museum for Central Africa, Service of Wood Biology, Tervuren, Belgium
Language :
English
Title :
Foliar and wood traits covary along a vertical gradient within the crown of long-lived light-demanding species of the congo basin semi-deciduous forest
Funding: This research was performed under projects \u201CBiosphere traits\u201D (UN/31) and \u201CHerbaxylaredd\u201D (BR/143/A3) funded by the Belgian Science Policy Office (Belspo).
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