TY - JOUR
T1 - A paradox of latitudinal leaf defense strategies in deciduous and evergreen broadleaved trees
AU - Saihanna, Saihanna
AU - Tanaka, Tomoe
AU - Okamura, Yu
AU - Kusumoto, Buntarou
AU - Shiono, Takayuki
AU - Hirao, Toshihide
AU - Kubota, Yasuhiro
AU - Murakami, Masashi
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements We are grateful to the two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments. This study was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (no. 22405006, no. 15H04424, no.15K16153, no. 15K14607) and Program for Advancing Strategic International Networks to Accelerate the Circulation of Talented Researchers, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science to YK.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, The Author(s).
PY - 2018/9/1
Y1 - 2018/9/1
N2 - The classical “low latitude–high defense” hypothesis is seldom supported by empirical evidence. In this context, we tested latitudinal patterns in the leaf defense traits of deciduous broadleaved (DB) and evergreen broadleaved (EGB) tree species, which are expected to affect herbivore diversity. We examined the co-occurrence of leaf defense traits (tannin and phenol content, leaf mechanical strength, leaf dry matter content, leaf mass per area, and leaf thickness) in 741 broadleaved tree species and their correlations with species geographical range in East Asian island flora. We discovered contrasting latitudinal defense strategy gradients in DB and EGB tree species. DB species employed chemical defenses (increasing tannin and phenol content) at higher latitudes and physical defenses (softer and thinner leaves) at lower latitudes, whereas EGB tree species exhibited opposite latitudinal defense patterns. The “low latitude high defense” hypothesis included a paradoxical aspect in chemical and physical defense traits across broadleaved tree species. To reconcile paradoxical defense strategies along the latitudinal gradient, we conclude that interactive correlations among leaf traits are controlled by leaf longevity, which differs between DB and EGB tree species.
AB - The classical “low latitude–high defense” hypothesis is seldom supported by empirical evidence. In this context, we tested latitudinal patterns in the leaf defense traits of deciduous broadleaved (DB) and evergreen broadleaved (EGB) tree species, which are expected to affect herbivore diversity. We examined the co-occurrence of leaf defense traits (tannin and phenol content, leaf mechanical strength, leaf dry matter content, leaf mass per area, and leaf thickness) in 741 broadleaved tree species and their correlations with species geographical range in East Asian island flora. We discovered contrasting latitudinal defense strategy gradients in DB and EGB tree species. DB species employed chemical defenses (increasing tannin and phenol content) at higher latitudes and physical defenses (softer and thinner leaves) at lower latitudes, whereas EGB tree species exhibited opposite latitudinal defense patterns. The “low latitude high defense” hypothesis included a paradoxical aspect in chemical and physical defense traits across broadleaved tree species. To reconcile paradoxical defense strategies along the latitudinal gradient, we conclude that interactive correlations among leaf traits are controlled by leaf longevity, which differs between DB and EGB tree species.
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U2 - 10.1007/s11284-018-1614-0
DO - 10.1007/s11284-018-1614-0
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85047956214
VL - 33
SP - 1011
EP - 1017
JO - Ecological Research
JF - Ecological Research
SN - 0912-3814
IS - 5
ER -