dc.contributor.author | Schrodt, F. | |
dc.contributor.author | Domingues, T.F. | |
dc.contributor.author | Feldpausch, T.R. | |
dc.contributor.author | Saiz, G. | |
dc.contributor.author | Quesada, CA | |
dc.contributor.author | Schwarz, M | |
dc.contributor.author | Ishida, F.Y. | |
dc.contributor.author | Compaore, H. | |
dc.contributor.author | Diallo, A. | |
dc.contributor.author | Djagbletey, G | |
dc.contributor.author | Hien, F. | |
dc.contributor.author | Sonké, B | |
dc.contributor.author | Taedoumg, HE | |
dc.contributor.author | Zapfack, L. | |
dc.contributor.author | Hiernaux, P. | |
dc.contributor.author | Mougin, E. | |
dc.contributor.author | Bird, Michael I. | |
dc.contributor.author | Grace, J. | |
dc.contributor.author | Lewis, Simon L. | |
dc.contributor.author | Veenendaal, E | |
dc.contributor.author | Lloyd, J | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2016-01-12T13:53:07Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2014-11-06 | |
dc.description.abstract | Variations in leaf mass per unit area (Ma) and foliar concentrations of N, P, C, K, Mg and Ca were determined for 365 trees growing in 23 plots along a West African precipitation gradient ranging from 0.29 to 1.62m a-1. Contrary to previous studies, no marked increase in Ma with declining precipitation was observed, but savanna tree foliar [N] tended to be higher at the drier sites (mass basis). Generally, Ma was slightly higher and [N] slightly lower for forest vs savanna trees with most of this difference attributable to differences in soil chemistry. No systematic variations in [P], [Mg] and [Ca] with precipitation or between trees of forest vs savanna stands were observed. We did, however, find a marked increase in foliar [K] of savanna trees as precipitation declined, with savanna trees also having a significantly lower [K] than those of nearby forest. These differences were not related to differences in soil nutrient status and were accompanied by systematic changes in [C] of opposite sign. We suggest an important but as yet unidentified role for K in the adaption of savanna species to periods of limited water availability; with foliar [K] being also an important factor differentiating tree species adapted to forest vs savanna soils within the 'zone of transition' of Western Africa. | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Natural Environment Research Council TROBIT Consortium project | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Royal Society - University Research Fellowship | en_GB |
dc.identifier.citation | Vol. 42 (1), pp. 63 - 83 | en_GB |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1071/FP14040 | |
dc.identifier.grantnumber | NE/D005590/1 | en_GB |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10871/19215 | |
dc.language.iso | en | en_GB |
dc.publisher | CSIRO Publishing | en_GB |
dc.rights | This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution licence CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is cited in full. | en_GB |
dc.subject | foliar cations | en_GB |
dc.subject | leaf mass per unit area | en_GB |
dc.subject | leaf physiology | en_GB |
dc.subject | nitrogen | en_GB |
dc.subject | phenology | en_GB |
dc.subject | phosphorus | en_GB |
dc.subject | plant functional traits | en_GB |
dc.subject | potassium | en_GB |
dc.subject | tropical | en_GB |
dc.subject | West Africa | en_GB |
dc.subject | zone of transition. | en_GB |
dc.title | Foliar trait contrasts between African forest and savanna trees: Genetic versus environmental effects | en_GB |
dc.type | Article | en_GB |
dc.date.available | 2016-01-12T13:53:07Z | |
dc.identifier.issn | 1445-4408 | |
dc.description | Journal Article | en_GB |
dc.identifier.eissn | 1445-4416 | |
dc.identifier.journal | Functional Plant Biology | en_GB |