Global patterns of leaf mechanical properties

• Published in: Ecology letters Vol. 14; no. 3; pp. 301 - 312
• Main Authors: Onoda, Yusuke, Westoby, Mark, Adler, Peter B, Choong, Amy M.F, Clissold, Fiona J, Cornelissen, Johannes H.C, Díaz, Sandra, Dominy, Nathaniel J, Elgart, Alison, Enrico, Lucas, Fine, Paul V.A, Howard, Jerome J, Jalili, Adel, Kitajima, Kaoru, Kurokawa, Hiroko, McArthur, Clare, Lucas, Peter W, Markesteijn, Lars, Pérez-Harguindeguy, Natalia, Poorter, Lourens, Richards, Lora, Santiago, Louis S, Sosinski, Enio E. Jr, Van Bael, Sunshine A, Warton, David I, Wright, Ian J, Joseph Wright, S, Yamashita, Nayuta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.03.2011; Blackwell
• Subjects: anatomy & histology; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; biogeochemical cycles; Biological and medical sciences; Biomechanical Phenomena; Biomechanics; Data processing; Ecological function; economics spectrum; Ecosystems; fibre; fracture-toughness; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; global-trend; latitudinal variation; leaf traits; Leaves; Life span; Light; longevity; Mechanical properties; meta-analysis; Nutrient cycles; photosynthesis; physiology; Plant biology; Plant Leaves; Plant Leaves - anatomy & histology; Plant Leaves - physiology; Plant Physiological Phenomena; Plant populations; Plants; Plants - anatomy & histology; Rain; shade; Stress, Mechanical; toughness; traits; Tropical Climate; Understory; Biomechanics; global-trend; meta-analysis; Plant leaf; fibre; toughness; Metaanalysis; leaf traits

Ecology Letters (2011) 14: 301-312 ABSTRACT: Leaf mechanical properties strongly influence leaf lifespan, plant-herbivore interactions, litter decomposition and nutrient cycling, but global patterns in their interspecific variation and underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We synthesize da...