The worldwide leaf economics spectrum

Ian J. Wright; Peter B. Reich; Mark Westoby; David D. Ackerly; Zdravko Baruch; Frans Bongers; Jeannine Cavender-Bares; Terry Chapin; Johannes H C Cornellssen; Matthias Diemer; Jaume Flexas; Eric Garnier; Philip K. Groom; Javier Gulias; Kouki Hikosaka; Byron B. Lamont; Tall Lee; William Lee; Christopher Lusk; Jeremy J. Midgley; Marie Laure Navas; Ülo Niinemets; Jacek Oleksyn; Horiyuki Osada; Hendrik Poorter; Pleter Pool; Lynda Prior; Vladimir I. Pyankov; Catherine Roumet; Sean C. Thomas; Mark G. Tjoelker; Erik J. Veneklaas; Rafael Villar

doi:10.1038/nature02403

The worldwide leaf economics spectrum

Ian J. Wright^*, Peter B. Reich, Mark Westoby, David D. Ackerly, Zdravko Baruch, Frans Bongers, Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Terry Chapin, Johannes H C Cornellssen, Matthias Diemer, Jaume Flexas, Eric Garnier, Philip K. Groom, Javier Gulias, Kouki Hikosaka, Byron B. Lamont, Tall Lee, William Lee, Christopher Lusk, Jeremy J. MidgleyMarie Laure Navas, Ülo Niinemets, Jacek Oleksyn, Horiyuki Osada, Hendrik Poorter, Pleter Pool, Lynda Prior, Vladimir I. Pyankov, Catherine Roumet, Sean C. Thomas, Mark G. Tjoelker, Erik J. Veneklaas, Rafael Villar

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6380 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Bringing together leaf trait data spanning 2,548 species and 175 sites we describe, for the first time at global scale, a universal spectrum of leaf economics consisting of key chemical, structural and physiological properties. The spectrum runs from quick to slow return on investments of nutrients and dry mass in leaves, and operates largely independently of growth form, plant functional type or biome. Categories along the spectrum would, in general, describe leaf economic variation at the global scale better than plant functional types overlap substantially in their leaf traits. Overall, modulation of leaf traits and trait relationships by climate is surprisingly modest, although some striking and significant patterns can be seen. Reliable quantification of the leaf economics spectrum and its interaction with climate will prove valuable for modelling nutrient fluxes and vegetation boundaries under changing land-use and climate.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	821-827
Number of pages	7
Journal	Nature
Volume	428
Issue number	6985
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02403
Publication status	Published - 22 Apr 2004

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Wright, I. J., Reich, P. B., Westoby, M., Ackerly, D. D., Baruch, Z., Bongers, F., Cavender-Bares, J., Chapin, T., Cornellssen, J. H. C., Diemer, M., Flexas, J., Garnier, E., Groom, P. K., Gulias, J., Hikosaka, K., Lamont, B. B., Lee, T., Lee, W., Lusk, C., ... Villar, R. (2004). The worldwide leaf economics spectrum. Nature, 428(6985), 821-827. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02403

@article{a679018994654f06bd847ec423d9d75d,

title = "The worldwide leaf economics spectrum",

abstract = "Bringing together leaf trait data spanning 2,548 species and 175 sites we describe, for the first time at global scale, a universal spectrum of leaf economics consisting of key chemical, structural and physiological properties. The spectrum runs from quick to slow return on investments of nutrients and dry mass in leaves, and operates largely independently of growth form, plant functional type or biome. Categories along the spectrum would, in general, describe leaf economic variation at the global scale better than plant functional types overlap substantially in their leaf traits. Overall, modulation of leaf traits and trait relationships by climate is surprisingly modest, although some striking and significant patterns can be seen. Reliable quantification of the leaf economics spectrum and its interaction with climate will prove valuable for modelling nutrient fluxes and vegetation boundaries under changing land-use and climate.",

author = "Wright, {Ian J.} and Reich, {Peter B.} and Mark Westoby and Ackerly, {David D.} and Zdravko Baruch and Frans Bongers and Jeannine Cavender-Bares and Terry Chapin and Cornellssen, {Johannes H C} and Matthias Diemer and Jaume Flexas and Eric Garnier and Groom, {Philip K.} and Javier Gulias and Kouki Hikosaka and Lamont, {Byron B.} and Tall Lee and William Lee and Christopher Lusk and Midgley, {Jeremy J.} and Navas, {Marie Laure} and {\"U}lo Niinemets and Jacek Oleksyn and Horiyuki Osada and Hendrik Poorter and Pleter Pool and Lynda Prior and Pyankov, {Vladimir I.} and Catherine Roumet and Thomas, {Sean C.} and Tjoelker, {Mark G.} and Veneklaas, {Erik J.} and Rafael Villar",

year = "2004",

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doi = "10.1038/nature02403",

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Wright, IJ, Reich, PB, Westoby, M, Ackerly, DD, Baruch, Z, Bongers, F, Cavender-Bares, J, Chapin, T, Cornellssen, JHC, Diemer, M, Flexas, J, Garnier, E, Groom, PK, Gulias, J, Hikosaka, K, Lamont, BB, Lee, T, Lee, W, Lusk, C, Midgley, JJ, Navas, ML, Niinemets, Ü, Oleksyn, J, Osada, H, Poorter, H, Pool, P, Prior, L, Pyankov, VI, Roumet, C, Thomas, SC, Tjoelker, MG, Veneklaas, EJ & Villar, R 2004, 'The worldwide leaf economics spectrum', Nature, vol. 428, no. 6985, pp. 821-827. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02403

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AU - Wright, Ian J.

AU - Reich, Peter B.

AU - Westoby, Mark

AU - Ackerly, David D.

AU - Baruch, Zdravko

AU - Bongers, Frans

AU - Cavender-Bares, Jeannine

AU - Chapin, Terry

AU - Cornellssen, Johannes H C

AU - Diemer, Matthias

AU - Flexas, Jaume

AU - Garnier, Eric

AU - Groom, Philip K.

AU - Gulias, Javier

AU - Hikosaka, Kouki

AU - Lamont, Byron B.

AU - Lee, Tall

AU - Lee, William

AU - Lusk, Christopher

AU - Midgley, Jeremy J.

AU - Navas, Marie Laure

AU - Niinemets, Ülo

AU - Oleksyn, Jacek

AU - Osada, Horiyuki

AU - Poorter, Hendrik

AU - Pool, Pleter

AU - Prior, Lynda

AU - Pyankov, Vladimir I.

AU - Roumet, Catherine

AU - Thomas, Sean C.

AU - Tjoelker, Mark G.

AU - Veneklaas, Erik J.

AU - Villar, Rafael

PY - 2004/4/22

Y1 - 2004/4/22

N2 - Bringing together leaf trait data spanning 2,548 species and 175 sites we describe, for the first time at global scale, a universal spectrum of leaf economics consisting of key chemical, structural and physiological properties. The spectrum runs from quick to slow return on investments of nutrients and dry mass in leaves, and operates largely independently of growth form, plant functional type or biome. Categories along the spectrum would, in general, describe leaf economic variation at the global scale better than plant functional types overlap substantially in their leaf traits. Overall, modulation of leaf traits and trait relationships by climate is surprisingly modest, although some striking and significant patterns can be seen. Reliable quantification of the leaf economics spectrum and its interaction with climate will prove valuable for modelling nutrient fluxes and vegetation boundaries under changing land-use and climate.

AB - Bringing together leaf trait data spanning 2,548 species and 175 sites we describe, for the first time at global scale, a universal spectrum of leaf economics consisting of key chemical, structural and physiological properties. The spectrum runs from quick to slow return on investments of nutrients and dry mass in leaves, and operates largely independently of growth form, plant functional type or biome. Categories along the spectrum would, in general, describe leaf economic variation at the global scale better than plant functional types overlap substantially in their leaf traits. Overall, modulation of leaf traits and trait relationships by climate is surprisingly modest, although some striking and significant patterns can be seen. Reliable quantification of the leaf economics spectrum and its interaction with climate will prove valuable for modelling nutrient fluxes and vegetation boundaries under changing land-use and climate.

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U2 - 10.1038/nature02403

DO - 10.1038/nature02403

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C2 - 15103368

AN - SCOPUS:11144357645

SN - 0028-0836

VL - 428

SP - 821

EP - 827

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

IS - 6985

ER -

The worldwide leaf economics spectrum

Abstract

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