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, 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia. iwright@rna.bio.mq.edu.au
authors.forename: Ian J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Peter B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Reich
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Westoby
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Ackerly
authors.forename: Zdravko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Baruch
authors.forename: Frans
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bongers
authors.forename: Jeannine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cavender-Bares
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chapin
authors.forename: Johannes H C
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cornelissen
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diemer
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Flexas
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Garnier
authors.forename: Philip K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Groom
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gulias
authors.forename: Kouki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hikosaka
authors.forename: Byron B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Lamont
authors.forename: Tali
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lusk
authors.forename: Jeremy J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Midgley
authors.forename: Marie-Laure
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Navas
authors.forename: Ulo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Niinemets
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oleksyn
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Osada
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Poorter
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poot
authors.forename: Lynda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Prior
authors.forename: Vladimir I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Pyankov
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roumet
authors.forename: Sean C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Tjoelker
authors.forename: Erik J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Veneklaas
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Villar
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D002980:Climate; D017753:Ecosystem; D005843:Geography; D008954:Models, Biological; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D010788:Photosynthesis; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D011891:Rain