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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 37(4)

Similar irradiance-elicited plasticity of leaf traits in saplings of 12 tropical rainforest tree species with highly different leaf mass to area ratio

Sabrina Coste A , Jean-Christophe Roggy A , Gregory Sonnier A and Erwin Dreyer B C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A AgroParisTech-ENGREF, INRA, Unité Mixte de Recherches CIRAD-ENGREF-INRA-CNRS ‘Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane’, Campus Agronomique de Kourou, F 97387 Kourou, Guyane, France.

B INRA, Nancy-Université, UMR 1137 ‘Ecologie et Ecophysiologie Forestières’, IFR 110 ‘Ecosystèmes Forestiers, Agroressources, Biomolécules et Alimentation’, F 54280 Champenoux, France.

C Corresponding author. Email: dreyer@nancy.inra.fr

Functional Plant Biology 37(4) 342-355 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP09119
Submitted: 25 May 2009  Accepted: 11 January 2010   Published: 26 March 2010

Abstract

Leaf traits of tropical tree species display an important inter-specific diversity, as detected for instance in the large range of values of leaf mass : area ratio (LMA). They also demonstrate a large irradiance-elicited plasticity, but there is still debate whether this plasticity differs among species. To address this question, leaf traits were recorded on saplings from 12 rainforest tree species in French Guiana, grown under approximately 5, 10 and 20% relative irradiance. Fifteen structural and physiological leaf traits related to photosynthesis were measured. The irradiance-elicited plasticity was quantified using a relative distance plasticity index. A large inter-specific diversity was detected for all leaf traits. A principal component analysis opposed species with a large mass-based photosynthesis, respiration, N content and photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency, to species with a large leaf mass : area ratio, LMA. The two pioneer species used in this study displayed the largest photosynthetic capacity (and lowest LMA) and ranked at one end of the species continuum. Relative irradiance affected almost all traits with the exception of mass-based photosynthesis. A weak interaction was found between species and relative irradiance and the species ranking was maintained among relative irradiance treatments for the majority of the traits. A principal component analysis of the values of relative-distance plasticity index failed to reveal any consistent patterns of traits or species. We concluded that irradiance-elicited plasticity of leaf traits was similar among species irrespective of LMA and successional status, despite the occurrence of a large inter-specific diversity for the investigated traits.

Additional keywords: functional diversity, light availability, photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency, photosynthetic capacity, tropical rainforest.


Acknowledgements

S. Coste was supported by a PhD grant from the French Ministry for Higher Education and Research and by a grant for technical cooperation in overseas regions of France. The authors are indebted to Pascal Imbert, Saintano Dufort, Marcel Blaise, Jean-Louis De Kerpeztron and Henry Grootfaam (UMR Ecofog, Kourou) for their help throughout the experiment and to Claude Brechet and Jacqueline Marchand (UMR EEF, INRA, Nancy) for carbon, nitrogen and δ13C analysis, Christopher Baraloto (UMR Ecofog, Kourou) contributed to the delicate process of botanical identification and selection of the species while Jean-Yves Goret helped establish and maintain the experiment under the shading nets. Useful discussions with Eric Marcon, Christopher Baraloto and Heidy Schimann (UMR ECOFOG) and with Pierre Montpied and Daniel Epron (UMR EEF, INRA, Nancy) are gratefully acknowledged.


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Appendix 1.  Abbreviations and symbols used in the text along with their units
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Appendix 2.  Results from an ANOVA test for the effects of two factors: species (seven levels) and light (relative irradiance; three levels, I5, I10 and I20) and their interaction on leaf structure and photosynthetic traits
n = 5 to 7 individuals per specie × irradiance regime. F-values and probability are displayed. With the exception of δ13C (‰), N a (g m–2), N m (mg g–1), C m (mg g–1), LDMC (mg g–1), J max : V cmax and WUEi (µmol mol–1), all variables were transformed as square roots for R da or log10 for all other traits. Mean values (±95% confidence interval) are displayed for each irradiance level. For each trait, a Spearman rank coefficient is displayed for mean species values between the two extreme levels of irradiance (t5 and t20). n.s., not significant, P>0.05; *P<0.05; **P<0.01; ***P<0.001
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