ALBERT

Description: The Monowai volcanic center is located at the midpoint along the ~2,530-km-long Tonga-Kermadec arc system. The Monowai volcanic center is comprised of a large elongate caldera (Monowai caldera area ~35 km 2 ; depth to caldera floor 1,590 m), which has formed within an older caldera some 84 km 2 in area. To the south of this nested caldera system is a large composite volcano, Monowai cone, which rises to within ~100 m of the sea surface and which has been volcanically active for the past several decades. Mafic volcanic rocks dominate the Monowai volcanic center; basalts are the most common rock type recovered from the cone, whereas basaltic andesites are common within the caldera. Hydrothermal plume mapping has shown at least three major hydrothermal systems associated with the caldera and cone: (1) the summit of the cone, (2) low-temperature venting (〈60°C; Mussel Ridge) on the southwestern wall of the caldera, and (3) a deeper caldera source with higher temperature venting that has yet to be observed. The cone summit plume shows large anomalies in pH (a shift of –2.00 pH units) and 3 He (≤358%), and noticeable H 2 S (up to 32 μ m), and CH 4 (up to 900 nm). The summit plume is also metal rich, with elevated total dissolvable Fe (TDFe up to 4,200 nm), TDMn (up to 412 nm), and TDFe/TDMn (up to 20.4). Particulate samples have elevated Fe, Si, Al, and Ti consistent with addition to the hydrothermal fluid from acidic water-rock reaction. Plumes extending from ~1,000- to 1,400-m depth provide evidence for a major hydrothermal vent system in the caldera. The caldera plume has lower values for TDFe and TDMn, although some samples show higher TDMn concentrations than the cone summit plume; caldera plume samples are also relatively gas poor (i.e., no H 2 S detected, pH shift of –0.06 pH units, CH 4 concentrations up to 26 nm). The composition of the hydrothermal plumes in the caldera have higher metal contents than the sampled vent fluids along Mussel Ridge, requiring that the source of the caldera plumes is at greater depth and likely of higher temperature. Minor plumes detected as light scattering anomalies but with no 3 He anomalies down the northern flank of the Monowai caldera most likely represent remobilization of volcanic debris from the volcano flanks. We believe the Monowai volcanic center is host to a robust magmatic-hydrothermal system, with significant differences in the style and composition of venting at the cone and caldera sites. At the cone, the large shifts in pH, very high 3 He% values, elevated TDFe and TDFe/TDMn, and the H 2 S- and CH 4 -rich nature of the plume fluids, together with elevated Ti, P, V, S, and Al in hydrothermal particulates, indicates significant magmatic volatile ± metal contributions in the hydrothermal system coupled with aggressive acidic water-rock interaction. By contrast, the caldera has low TDFe/TDMn in hydrothermal plumes; however, elevated Al and Ti contents in caldera particulate samples, combined with the presence of alunite, pyrophyllite, sulfide minerals, and native sulfur in samples from Mussel Ridge suggest past, and perhaps recent, acid volatile-rich venting and active Fe sulfide formation in the subsurface.

Description: Increased displacement rates have been observed following manylarge earthquakes and magmatic events. Although an order of magnitude smaller than the displacements associated with the main event, the post-seismic or post-rifting deformation may continue for years to decades after the initial earthquake or dyke intrusion. Due to the rare occurrence of subaerial rifting events, there are very few observations to constrain models of post-rifting deformation. In 2005 September, a 60-km-long dyke was intruded along the Dabbahu segment of the Nubia-Arabia Plate boundary (Afar, Ethiopia), marking the beginning of an ongoing rifting episode. Continued activity has been monitored using satellite radar interferometry and data from global positioning system instruments deployed around the rift in response to the initial intrusion. Using multiple satellite passes, we are able to separate the rift perpendicular and vertical displacement fields around the Dabbahu segment. Rift perpendicular and vertical rates of up to 180 and 240 mm yr –1 , respectively. Here, we show that models of viscoelastic relaxation alone are insufficient to reproduce the observed deformation field and that a large portion of the observed signal is related to the movement of magma within the rift segment. Our models suggest upper mantle viscosities of 10 18–19 Pa s overlain by an elastic crust of between 15 and 30 km. To fit the observations, inflation and deflation of magma chambers in the centre of the rift and to the south east of the rift axis is required at rates of ~0.13 and –0.08 km 3  yr –1 .

Description: Current estimates of gross primary productivity (GPP) of the terrestrial biosphere vary widely, from 100 to 175 Gt C year−1. Ecosystem GPP cannot be measured directly, and is commonly estimated using models. Among the many parameters in those models, three leaf parameters have strong influences on the modelled GPP: leaf mass per area, leaf lifespan and leaf nitrogen concentration. The first two parameters affect the modelled canopy leaf area and the last two determine the maximal leaf photosynthetic rate. Ecological studies have firmly established that these three parameters are significantly correlated at regional to global scales, but this knowledge is yet to be used in predicting global GPP. We hypothesize that incorporating multi-trait covariance can reduce uncertainties of model predictions in a way likely to provide improved realism. Using the Australian community land surface model (CABLE), we find that correlations among these three parameters reduce the variance among GPP estimates by CABLE by over 20% for shrub, C4 grassland and tundra, and by between 5% and 20% for most other PFTs, as compared with the simulated GPP without considering the correlations. Globally the correlations do not alter the mean but reduce the variance of modeled GPP by CABLE by 28% and result in fewer extremely high or extremely low (and unlikely) global GPP predictions. Therefore correlations among the three leaf parameters, and possibly other parameters, can be used as a significant constraint on the estimates of model parameters or predictions by those models.

Description: 〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Zanne, Amy E -- Tank, David C -- Cornwell, William K -- Eastman, Jonathan M -- Smith, Stephen A -- FitzJohn, Richard G -- McGlinn, Daniel J -- O'Meara, Brian C -- Moles, Angela T -- Reich, Peter B -- Royer, Dana L -- Soltis, Douglas E -- Stevens, Peter F -- Westoby, Mark -- Wright, Ian J -- Aarssen, Lonnie -- Bertin, Robert I -- Calaminus, Andre -- Govaerts, Rafael -- Hemmings, Frank -- Leishman, Michelle R -- Oleksyn, Jacek -- Soltis, Pamela S -- Swenson, Nathan G -- Warman, Laura -- Beaulieu, Jeremy M -- England -- Nature. 2015 May 21;521(7552):E6-7. doi: 10.1038/nature14394.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Author address: 〈/span〉1] Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington DC 20052, USA. [2] Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development, Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis, Missouri 63121, USA. ; 1] Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844, USA. [2] Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844, USA. ; 1] Department of Ecological Sciences, Systems Ecology, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. [2] Evolution &Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia. ; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. ; 1] Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T1Z4, Canada. [2] Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia. ; Department of Biology, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina 29424, USA. ; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA. ; Evolution &Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia. ; 1] Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA. [2] Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, New South Wales 2751, Australia. ; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut 06459, USA. ; 1] Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA. [2] Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA. [3] Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA. ; Department of Biology, University of Missouri-St Louis, St Louis, Missouri 63121, USA. ; Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia. ; Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada. ; Department of Biology, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts 01610, USA. ; Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA. ; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3AB, UK. ; 1] Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA. [2] Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Dendrology, 62-035 Kornik, Poland. ; 1] Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA. [2] Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA. ; Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA. ; 1] Evolution &Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia. [2] Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, USDA Forest Service, Hilo, Hawaii 96720, USA. ; National Institute for Mathematical &Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25993971" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉

Description: Shifts in rainfall patterns and increasing temperatures associated with climate change are likely to cause widespread forest decline in regions where droughts are predicted to increase in duration and severity. One primary cause of productivity loss and plant mortality during drought is hydraulic failure. Drought stress creates trapped gas emboli in the water transport system, which reduces the ability of plants to supply water to leaves for photosynthetic gas exchange and can ultimately result in desiccation and mortality. At present we lack a clear picture of how thresholds to hydraulic failure vary across a broad range of species and environments, despite many individual experiments. Here we draw together published and unpublished data on the vulnerability of the transport system to drought-induced embolism for a large number of woody species, with a view to examining the likely consequences of climate change for forest biomes. We show that 70% of 226 forest species from 81 sites worldwide operate with narrow (〈1 megapascal) hydraulic safety margins against injurious levels of drought stress and therefore potentially face long-term reductions in productivity and survival if temperature and aridity increase as predicted for many regions across the globe. Safety margins are largely independent of mean annual precipitation, showing that there is global convergence in the vulnerability of forests to drought, with all forest biomes equally vulnerable to hydraulic failure regardless of their current rainfall environment. These findings provide insight into why drought-induced forest decline is occurring not only in arid regions but also in wet forests not normally considered at drought risk.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Choat, Brendan -- Jansen, Steven -- Brodribb, Tim J -- Cochard, Herve -- Delzon, Sylvain -- Bhaskar, Radika -- Bucci, Sandra J -- Feild, Taylor S -- Gleason, Sean M -- Hacke, Uwe G -- Jacobsen, Anna L -- Lens, Frederic -- Maherali, Hafiz -- Martinez-Vilalta, Jordi -- Mayr, Stefan -- Mencuccini, Maurizio -- Mitchell, Patrick J -- Nardini, Andrea -- Pittermann, Jarmila -- Pratt, R Brandon -- Sperry, John S -- Westoby, Mark -- Wright, Ian J -- Zanne, Amy E -- P 20852/Austrian Science Fund FWF/Austria -- England -- Nature. 2012 Nov 29;491(7426):752-5. doi: 10.1038/nature11688. Epub 2012 Nov 21.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Author address: 〈/span〉University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Richmond, New South Wales 2753, Australia.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23172141" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉

Description: Early flowering plants are thought to have been woody species restricted to warm habitats. This lineage has since radiated into almost every climate, with manifold growth forms. As angiosperms spread and climate changed, they evolved mechanisms to cope with episodic freezing. To explore the evolution of traits underpinning the ability to persist in freezing conditions, we assembled a large species-level database of growth habit (woody or herbaceous; 49,064 species), as well as leaf phenology (evergreen or deciduous), diameter of hydraulic conduits (that is, xylem vessels and tracheids) and climate occupancies (exposure to freezing). To model the evolution of species' traits and climate occupancies, we combined these data with an unparalleled dated molecular phylogeny (32,223 species) for land plants. Here we show that woody clades successfully moved into freezing-prone environments by either possessing transport networks of small safe conduits and/or shutting down hydraulic function by dropping leaves during freezing. Herbaceous species largely avoided freezing periods by senescing cheaply constructed aboveground tissue. Growth habit has long been considered labile, but we find that growth habit was less labile than climate occupancy. Additionally, freezing environments were largely filled by lineages that had already become herbs or, when remaining woody, already had small conduits (that is, the trait evolved before the climate occupancy). By contrast, most deciduous woody lineages had an evolutionary shift to seasonally shedding their leaves only after exposure to freezing (that is, the climate occupancy evolved before the trait). For angiosperms to inhabit novel cold environments they had to gain new structural and functional trait solutions; our results suggest that many of these solutions were probably acquired before their foray into the cold.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Zanne, Amy E -- Tank, David C -- Cornwell, William K -- Eastman, Jonathan M -- Smith, Stephen A -- FitzJohn, Richard G -- McGlinn, Daniel J -- O'Meara, Brian C -- Moles, Angela T -- Reich, Peter B -- Royer, Dana L -- Soltis, Douglas E -- Stevens, Peter F -- Westoby, Mark -- Wright, Ian J -- Aarssen, Lonnie -- Bertin, Robert I -- Calaminus, Andre -- Govaerts, Rafael -- Hemmings, Frank -- Leishman, Michelle R -- Oleksyn, Jacek -- Soltis, Pamela S -- Swenson, Nathan G -- Warman, Laura -- Beaulieu, Jeremy M -- England -- Nature. 2014 Feb 6;506(7486):89-92. doi: 10.1038/nature12872. Epub 2013 Dec 22.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Author address: 〈/span〉1] Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington DC 20052, USA [2] Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development, Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis, Missouri 63121, USA. ; 1] Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844, USA [2] Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844, USA. ; 1] Department of Ecological Sciences, Systems Ecology, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands [2] Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia. ; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. ; 1] Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T1Z4, Canada [2] Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia. ; Department of Biology and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322, USA. ; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA. ; Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia. ; 1] Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA [2] Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, New South Wales 2751, Australia. ; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut 06459, USA. ; 1] Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA [2] Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA [3] Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA. ; Department of Biology, University of Missouri-St Louis, St Louis, Missouri 63121, USA. ; Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia. ; Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada. ; Department of Biology, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts 01610, USA. ; Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA. ; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB, United Kingdom. ; 1] Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA [2] Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Dendrology, 62-035 Kornik, Poland. ; 1] Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA [2] Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA. ; Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA. ; 1] Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia [2] Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, USDA Forest Service, Hilo, Hawaii 96720, USA. ; National Institute for Mathematical & Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24362564" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉

Description: Earth is home to a remarkable diversity of plant forms and life histories, yet comparatively few essential trait combinations have proved evolutionarily viable in today's terrestrial biosphere. By analysing worldwide variation in six major traits critical to growth, survival and reproduction within the largest sample of vascular plant species ever compiled, we found that occupancy of six-dimensional trait space is strongly concentrated, indicating coordination and trade-offs. Three-quarters of trait variation is captured in a two-dimensional global spectrum of plant form and function. One major dimension within this plane reflects the size of whole plants and their parts; the other represents the leaf economics spectrum, which balances leaf construction costs against growth potential. The global plant trait spectrum provides a backdrop for elucidating constraints on evolution, for functionally qualifying species and ecosystems, and for improving models that predict future vegetation based on continuous variation in plant form and function.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Diaz, Sandra -- Kattge, Jens -- Cornelissen, Johannes H C -- Wright, Ian J -- Lavorel, Sandra -- Dray, Stephane -- Reu, Bjorn -- Kleyer, Michael -- Wirth, Christian -- Prentice, I Colin -- Garnier, Eric -- Bonisch, Gerhard -- Westoby, Mark -- Poorter, Hendrik -- Reich, Peter B -- Moles, Angela T -- Dickie, John -- Gillison, Andrew N -- Zanne, Amy E -- Chave, Jerome -- Wright, S Joseph -- Sheremet'ev, Serge N -- Jactel, Herve -- Baraloto, Christopher -- Cerabolini, Bruno -- Pierce, Simon -- Shipley, Bill -- Kirkup, Donald -- Casanoves, Fernando -- Joswig, Julia S -- Gunther, Angela -- Falczuk, Valeria -- Ruger, Nadja -- Mahecha, Miguel D -- Gorne, Lucas D -- England -- Nature. 2016 Jan 14;529(7585):167-71. doi: 10.1038/nature16489. Epub 2015 Dec 23.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Author address: 〈/span〉Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biologia Vegetal (IMBIV), CONICET and FCEFyN, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Casilla de Correo 495, 5000 Cordoba, Argentina. ; Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knoll-Strasse 10, 07745 Jena, Germany. ; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. ; Systems Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. ; Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia. ; Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553, CNRS - Universite Grenoble Alpes, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France. ; Laboratoire de Biometrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, Universite Lyon 1, CNRS, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France. ; Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 21, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. ; Escuela de Biologia, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Cra. 27 Calle 9, 680002 Bucaramanga, Colombia. ; Landscape Ecology Group, Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, D-26111 Oldenburg, Germany. ; Department of Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 21, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. ; AXA Chair in Biosphere and Climate Impacts, Grand Challenges in Ecosystems and the Environment and Grantham Institute - Climate Change and the Environment, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot SL5 7PY, UK. ; Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (UMR 5175), CNRS-Universite de Montpellier - Universite Paul-Valery Montpellier - EPHE, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France. ; Plant Sciences (IBG-2), Forschungszentrum Julich GmbH, D-52425 Julich, Germany. ; Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA. ; Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Penrith New South Wales 2751, Australia. ; Evolution &Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia. ; Collections , The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Wakehurst Place, Ardingly, West Sussex, RH17 6TN, UK. ; Center for Biodiversity Management, P.O. Box 120, Yungaburra, Queensland 4884, Australia. ; Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington DC 20052, USA. ; Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development, Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis, Missouri 63121, USA. ; UMR 5174 Laboratoire Evolution et Diversite Biologique, CNRS &Universite Paul Sabatier, Toulouse 31062, France. ; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panama. ; Komarov Botanical Institute, Prof. Popov Street 2, St Petersburg 197376, Russia. ; INRA, UMR1202 BIOGECO, F-33610 Cestas, France. ; Universite de Bordeaux, BIOGECO, UMR 1202, F-33600 Pessac, France. ; International Center for Tropical Botany, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, USA. ; INRA, UMR Ecologie des Forets de Guyane, 97310 Kourou, French Guiana. ; Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J.H. Dunant 3, I-21100 Varese, Italy. ; Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (DiSAA), University of Milan, Via G. Celoria 2, I-20133 Milan, Italy. ; Departement de biologie, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1K 2R1, Canada. ; Biodiversity Informatics and Spatial Analysis, Jodrell Building, The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond TW9 3AB, UK. ; Unidad de Bioestadistica, Centro Agronomico Tropical de Investigacion y Ensenanza (CATIE), 7170 Turrialba, 30501, Costa Rica.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26700811" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉

Description: 〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Zanne, Amy E -- Tank, David C -- Cornwell, William K -- Eastman, Jonathan M -- Smith, Stephen A -- FitzJohn, Richard G -- McGlinn, Daniel J -- O'Meara, Brian C -- Moles, Angela T -- Reich, Peter B -- Royer, Dana L -- Soltis, Douglas E -- Stevens, Peter F -- Westoby, Mark -- Wright, Ian J -- Aarssen, Lonnie -- Bertin, Robert I -- Calaminus, Andre -- Govaerts, Rafael -- Hemmings, Frank -- Leishman, Michelle R -- Oleksyn, Jacek -- Soltis, Pamela S -- Swenson, Nathan G -- Warman, Laura -- Beaulieu, Jeremy M -- England -- Nature. 2015 May 21;521(7552):380. doi: 10.1038/nature14371.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25993966" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉

Description: Leaf size varies by over a 100,000-fold among species worldwide. Although 19th-century plant geographers noted that the wet tropics harbor plants with exceptionally large leaves, the latitudinal gradient of leaf size has not been well quantified nor the key climatic drivers convincingly identified. Here, we characterize worldwide patterns in leaf size. Large-leaved species predominate in wet, hot, sunny environments; small-leaved species typify hot, sunny environments only in arid conditions; small leaves are also found in high latitudes and elevations. By modeling the balance of leaf energy inputs and outputs, we show that daytime and nighttime leaf-to-air temperature differences are key to geographic gradients in leaf size. This knowledge can enrich "next-generation" vegetation models in which leaf temperature and water use during photosynthesis play key roles.