Pantropical moist forests are converging towards a middle leaf longevity

Leaf longevity is a fundamental plant trait that largely explains ecosystem functional dynamics in global pantropical moist forests. However, the signs, magnitudes, and mechanisms of the spatiotemporal variations in leaf longevity with ongoing climate change are still lacking. Using both ground measurements and gridded leaf age-dependent leaf area index data, we map the continental-scale variability of annual mean leaf longevity across pantropical moist forests over 2001-2023. We find a biome-dependent and converging trend in leaf longevity under climate change. In Amazon and tropical Asia with long leaf longevity (> ~1.8 years), leaf longevity decreases due to rising temperature and intensified atmospheric dryness. In contrast, an increasing trend is observed in Congo and subtropical Asia where forests have short leaf longevity (<~1.8 years). These responses cause a convergence of pantropical short and long leaf longevity into a middle longevity range, with maximization of plant functional traits, photosynthesis, and species evenness, which are expected to better resist climate variability. Our study provides emerging evidence for large-scale structural and functional adaptions across pantropical moist forests and is helpful for predicting climate-driven risks to ecosystem stability.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2026-01-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68989-x
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
73.25
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article

Pantropical moist forests are converging towards a middle leaf longevity

liming zhou, Peng Zhu, Jiali Shang, Xinyue Fu et al.
2 citations
Nature Communications
Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
73.25
article

Pantropical moist forests are converging towards a middle leaf longevity

liming zhou, Peng Zhu, Jiali Shang, Xinyue Fu, Xiuzhi Chen, Jie Tian, Xing Li, Kai Yan, Xueqin Yang, Peter B. Reich, Jingfeng Xiao, Xiangzhong Luo, Julia K. Green, Liusheng Han, Philippe Ciais, Hui Liu, Meimei Xue, Xiangming Xiao, Jane Liu, Jing Ming Chen, Wenping Yuan, Chaoyang Wu
article en
2 citations

Abstract

Leaf longevity is a fundamental plant trait that largely explains ecosystem functional dynamics in global pantropical moist forests. However, the signs, magnitudes, and mechanisms of the spatiotemporal variations in leaf longevity with ongoing climate change are still lacking. Using both ground measurements and gridded leaf age-dependent leaf area index data, we map the continental-scale variability of annual mean leaf longevity across pantropical moist forests over 2001-2023. We find a biome-dependent and converging trend in leaf longevity under climate change. In Amazon and tropical Asia with long leaf longevity (> ~1.8 years), leaf longevity decreases due to rising temperature and intensified atmospheric dryness. In contrast, an increasing trend is observed in Congo and subtropical Asia where forests have short leaf longevity (<~1.8 years). These responses cause a convergence of pantropical short and long leaf longevity into a middle longevity range, with maximization of plant functional traits, photosynthesis, and species evenness, which are expected to better resist climate variability. Our study provides emerging evidence for large-scale structural and functional adaptions across pantropical moist forests and is helpful for predicting climate-driven risks to ecosystem stability.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 17(1)
Albany State University (US), Shandong University of Technology (CN), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), University of Minnesota (US), Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (US), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (CA), University of Arizona (US), Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HK), Sun Yat-sen University (CN), University of New Hampshire (US), National University of Singapore (SG), University of Toronto (CA), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (FR), Peking University (CN), Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR), Université Paris-Saclay (FR), University of Michigan (US), University at Albany, State University of New York (US), South China Botanical Garden (CN), Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (FR), CEA Paris-Saclay (FR), Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (CN), State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science (CN), Ottawa Research and Development Centre, University of Oklahoma (US), University of Hong Kong (HK)
Climate action
Openalex Percentile: Top 0%
Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
73.25
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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