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The Leaf Economics Spectrum and its Underlying Physiological and Anatomical Principles

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The Leaf: A Platform for Performing Photosynthesis

Part of the book series: Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration ((AIPH,volume 44))

Summary

Large variations are found in leaf morphology and physiology across species in nature, reflecting diversity in carbon fixation and growth strategies. These variations in leaf traits are not random; rather, they are tightly coordinated with each other. Leaf traits can be expressed per leaf dry mass or per leaf area. A leaf-mass basis reflects leaf economics, i.e., revenues and expenditures per unit investment of biomass, while a leaf-area basis reflects fluxes in relation to surfaces. Leaf N and P concentrations, and photosynthetic and respiration rates – all considered on a mass basis, are negatively correlated with leaf mass per area (LMA) whilst leaf lifespan is positively correlated with LMA. These correlations are summarized into a single major axis called the “leaf economics spectrum” that runs from “quick-return” to “slow-return” species. On the other hand, correlations among area-based traits are less consistent and less understood in relation to leaf economy. LMA was positively correlated with leaf N content but mostly independent from photosynthetic rates per unit leaf area. Given that N is an essential element in photosynthetic proteins and thus photosynthesis, clarifying the mechanisms why the efficiency of photosynthesis (photosynthesis per unit N) decreases with LMA is a major concern in understanding the correlations among area-based traits in relation to leaf economy. Currently available data suggest that greater amounts of cell wall are required for long-lived leaves, which reduces the efficiency of photosynthesis by lowering (1) the fraction of leaf N invested in photosynthetic proteins and (2) CO2 diffusion rates through thicker and denser mesophyll cell walls. These physiological and structural constraints are a fundamental mechanism underpinning the general correlations among leaf economic traits.

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Abbreviations

A:

assimilation rate

Aarea :

net assimilation rate per unit leaf area

Amass :

net assimilation rate per unit leaf dry mass

C:

carbon

Ca :

ambient CO2 concentration

Cc :

chloroplast CO2 concentration

Ci :

intercellular CO2 concentration

CWarea :

cell wall mass per unit leaf area

CWmass :

cell wall mass per unit leaf mass

Dec:

deciduous

DM:

dry mass

Eve:

evergreen

gm :

mesophyll conductance for CO2

gs :

stomatal conductance for CO2

LES:

leaf economics spectrum

LL:

leaf lifespan

LMA:

leaf mass per area

N:

nitrogen

Narea :

leaf nitrogen (N) content per unit leaf area

Nmass :

leaf N concentration

Np :

photosynthetic N content per unit leaf area

NRub :

rubisco N content per unit leaf area

P:

phosphorus

PNUE:

photosynthetic N use efficiency measured at saturating light intensity (=Aarea/Narea)

QR:

quantile range

R:

respiration rate in the dark

Rarea :

dark respiration rate per unit leaf area

Rmass :

dark respiration rate per unit leaf dry mass

Rubisco:

ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase

Sc :

surface area of chloroplasts exposed to intercellular airspace per unit leaf area

Sm :

surface area of mesophyll exposed to intercellular airspace per unit leaf area

SMA:

standardized major axis

TCW :

mesophyll cell wall thickness

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Acknowledgments

This study is partly supported by grants from JSPS KAKENHI #26711025 (YO), and from the Australian Research Council (IW).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Environmental Science and Technology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Oiwake, Kitashirakawa, Kyoto, Japan

    Yusuke Onoda

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Ian J. Wright

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  1. Yusuke Onoda
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  2. Ian J. Wright
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Correspondence to Ian J. Wright .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA

    William W. Adams III

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo Ku, Hongo, Tokyo, Japan

    Ichiro Terashima

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Onoda, Y., Wright, I.J. (2018). The Leaf Economics Spectrum and its Underlying Physiological and Anatomical Principles. In: Adams III, W., Terashima, I. (eds) The Leaf: A Platform for Performing Photosynthesis. Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration, vol 44. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93594-2_16

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