Dissecting succulence: Crassulacean acid metabolism and hydraulic capacitance are independent adaptations in Clusia leaves

Succulence is found across the world as an adaptation to water-limited niches. The fleshy organs of succulent plants develop via enlarged photosynthetic chlorenchyma and/or achlorophyllous water storage hydrenchyma cells. The precise mechanism by which anatomical traits contribute to drought tolerance is unclear, as the effect of succulence is multifaceted. Large cells are believed to provide space for nocturnal storage of malic acid fixed by crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), whilst also buffering water potentials by elevating hydraulic capacitance (C_FT ). The effect of CAM and elevated C_FT on growth and water conservation have not been compared, despite the assumption that these adaptations often occur together. We assessed the relationship between succulent anatomical adaptations, CAM, and C_FT , across the genus Clusia. We also simulated the effects of CAM and C_FT on growth and water conservation during drought using the Photo3 model. Within Clusia leaves, CAM and C_FT are independent traits: CAM requires large palisade chlorenchyma cells, whereas hydrenchyma tissue governs interspecific differences in C_FT . In addition, our model suggests that CAM supersedes C_FT as a means to maximise CO₂ assimilation and minimise transpiration during drought. Our study challenges the assumption that CAM and C_FT are mutually dependent traits within succulent leaves.

Tropical montane cloud forest: environmental drivers of vegetation structure and ecosystem function

Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF) are characterized by short trees, often twisted with multiple stems, with many stems per ground area, a large stem diameter to height ratio, and small, often thick leaves. These forests exhibit high root to shoot ratio, with a moderate leaf area index, low above-ground production, low leaf nutrient concentrations and often with luxuriant epiphytic growth. These traits of TMCF are caused by climatic conditions not geological substrate, and are particularly associated with frequent or persistent fog and low cloud. There are several reasons why fog might result in these features. Firstly, the fog and clouds reduce the amount of light received per unit area of ground and as closed-canopy forests absorb most of the light that reaches them the reduction in the total amount of light reduces growth. Secondly, the rate of photosynthesis per leaf area declines in comparison with that in the lowlands, which leads to less carbon fixation. Nitrogen supply limits growth in several of the few TMCFs where it has been investigated experimentally. High root : shoot biomass and production ratios are common in TMCF, and soils are often wet which may contribute to N limitation. Further study is needed to clarify the causes of several key features of TMCF ecosystems including high tree diameter : height ratio.

Changes in light below the canopy of a Jamaican montane rainforest after a hurricane

Hurricane Gilbert caused disturbance to Jamaican montane rainforests in 1988. This study provides a detailed characterization of landscape-level changes in light below the canopy of these forests after the hurricane. Hemispherical photographs were taken below the forest canopy at four sites at permanent points 1 m above the ground between 7 and 33 mo after the hurricane. For each photograph photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was computed. PAR declined exponentially in all sites during the period of measurement. During the first 24 mo after the hurricane, PAR beneath the canopy was significantly greater in sites that had been defoliated during the hurricane than in sites where few trees had been defoliated. By 28 mo after the hurricane there was no significant difference in PAR beneath the canopy among the four sites. By 33 mo after the hurricane canopy recovery was nearly complete and PAR was only slightly higher than measurements made before the hurricane. Our results were compared with studies of changes in light environment resulting from treefall gaps and under deciduous canopies. PAR during the first 18 mo after the hurricane was similar to that recorded in small canopy gaps in other forests. Widespread defoliation caused by hurricanes can thus increase PAR beneath the canopy over large areas and consequently opportunities may arise for widespread recruitment of tree species in response to increased light levels.

Nature vs nurture in the leaf morphology of Southern beech, Nothofagus cunninghamii (Nothofagaceae)

•  Leaf morphology varies predictably with altitude, and leaf morphological features have been used to estimate average temperatures from fossil leaves. The altitude-leaf morphology relationship is confounded by the two processes of acclimation and adaptation, which reflect environmental and genetic influences, respectively. •  Here we describe the relationship between altitude and leaf morphology for Southern beech, Nothofagus cunninghamii (Hook.) Oerst.. Cuttings from several trees from each of four altitudes were grown in a common glasshouse experiment, and leaf morphology related to both genotype and altitude of origin. •  Genotype had a significant impact on leaf morphology, but in the field there was also a significant, overriding effect of altitude. This altitude effect disappeared in glasshouse-grown plants for all morphological variables other than leaf thickness and specific leaf area. •  These results show that, while leaf length, width and area are partially controlled by genetic factors, these variables are plastic and respond to environmental influences associated with a particular altitude. Thus altitudinal trends in leaf size in N. cunninghamii are unlikely to be the result of adaptation.

The role of stomata in sensing and driving environmental change

Stomata, the small pores on the surfaces of leaves and stalks, regulate the flow of gases in and out of leaves and thus plants as a whole. They adapt to local and global changes on all timescales from minutes to millennia. Recent data from diverse fields are establishing their central importance to plant physiology, evolution and global ecology. Stomatal morphology, distribution and behaviour respond to a spectrum of signals, from intracellular signalling to global climatic change. Such concerted adaptation results from a web of control systems, reminiscent of a 'scale-free' network, whose untangling requires integrated approaches beyond those currently used.