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. Cornelissen, Matthias Diemer, Jaume Flexas, Eric Garnier, Philip K. Groom, Javier Gulias, Kouki Hikosaka, Byron B. Lamont, Tali Lee, William Lee, Christopher Lusk, Jeremy J. Midgley, Marie-Laure Navas, Ülo Niinemets, Jacek Oleksyn, Noriyuki Osada, Hendrik Poorter, Pieter Poot, Lynda Prior, Vladimir I. Pyankov, Catherine Roumet, Sean C. Thomas, Mark G. Tjoelker, Erik J. Veneklaas and Rafael Villar
Additional contact information
Ian J. Wright: Macquarie University
Peter B. Reich: University of Minnesota
Mark Westoby: Macquarie University
David D. Ackerly: Stanford University
Zdravko Baruch: Universidad Simón Bolivar
Frans Bongers: Wageningen University
Jeannine Cavender-Bares: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Terry Chapin: University of Alaska
Johannes H. C. Cornelissen: Vrije Universiteit
Matthias Diemer: University of Zurich
Jaume Flexas: Universidad de Illes Balears
Eric Garnier: Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS, UMR 5175
Philip K. Groom: Curtin University of Technology
Javier Gulias: Universidad de Illes Balears
Kouki Hikosaka: Tohoku University
Byron B. Lamont: Curtin University of Technology
Tali Lee: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
William Lee: Landcare Research
Christopher Lusk: Universidad de Concepción
Jeremy J. Midgley: University of Cape Town
Marie-Laure Navas: Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS, UMR 5175
Ülo Niinemets: University of Tartu
Jacek Oleksyn: University of Minnesota
Noriyuki Osada: University of Tokyo
Hendrik Poorter: Utrecht University
Pieter Poot: School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia
Lynda Prior: Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory
Vladimir I. Pyankov: Ural State University
Catherine Roumet: Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS, UMR 5175
Sean C. Thomas: Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto
Mark G. Tjoelker: Texas A&M University
Erik J. Veneklaas: School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia
Rafael Villar: Universidad de Córdoba

Nature, 2004, vol. 428, issue 6985, 821-827

Abstract: 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, because 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.

Date: 2004
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DOI: 10.1038/nature02403

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