The global biogeography of tree leaf form and habit

Ma, Haozhi ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0709-1438, Crowther, Thomas W, Mo, Lidong ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3805-7638, Maynard, Daniel S ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0142-9100, Renner, Susanne S ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3704-0703, van den Hoogen, Johan, Zou, Yibiao, Liang, Jingjing ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9439-9320, de-Miguel, Sergio ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9738-0657, Nabuurs, Gert-Jan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9761-074X, Reich, Peter B ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4424-662X, Niinemets, Ülo, Abegg, Meinrad ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5151-5889, Adou Yao, Yves C ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9408-3497, Alberti, Giorgio ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2422-3009, Almeyda Zambrano, Angelica M., Alvarado, Braulio Vilchez, Alvarez-Dávila, Esteban, Alvarez-Loayza, Patricia, Alves, Luciana F. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8944-1851, Ammer, Christian ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4235-0135, Antón-Fernández, Clara ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5545-3320, Araujo-Murakami, Alejandro, Arroyo, Luzmila, Avitabile, Valerio, Aymard, Gerardo A ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9405-0508, Baker, Timothy R ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3251-1679, Bałazy, Radomir, Banki, Olaf ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6197-9951, Barroso, Jorcely G, Bastian, Meredith L ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0000-9115, Bastin, Jean-Francois ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2602-7247, Birigazzi, Luca, Birnbaum, Philippe ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4830-5500, Bitariho, Robert ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3461-0013, Boeckx, Pascal ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3998-0010, Bongers, Frans ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8431-6189, Bouriaud, Olivier ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8046-466X, Brancalion, Pedro H. S., Brandl, Susanne, Brearley, Francis Q, Brienen, Roel ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5397-5755, Broadbent, Eben N., Bruelheide, Helge ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3135-0356, Bussotti, Filippo, Cazzolla Gatti, Roberto, César, Ricardo G., Cesljar, Goran, Chazdon, Robin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7349-5687, Chen, Han Y H, Chisholm, Chelsea, Cho, Hyunkook, Cienciala, Emil ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1254-4254, Clark, Connie, Clark, David, Colletta, Gabriel D, Coomes, David A ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8261-2582, Valverde, Fernando Cornejo, Corral-Rivas, José J, Crim, Philip M ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5039-4306, Cumming, Jonathan R, Dayanandan, Selvadurai, de Gasper, André L ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1940-9581, Decuyper, Mathieu ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1713-8562, Derroire, Géraldine ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7239-2881, DeVries, Ben ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2136-3401, Djordjevic, Ilija, Dolezal, Jiri ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5829-4051, Dourdain, Aurélie, Engone Obiang, Nestor Laurier, Enquist, Brian J ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6124-7096, Eyre, Teresa J, Fandohan, Adandé Belarmain ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8426-6839, Fayle, Tom M, Feldpausch, Ted R, Ferreira, Leandro V, Finér, Leena, Fischer, Markus ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5589-5900, Fletcher, Christine, Fridman, Jonas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8295-665X, Frizzera, Lorenzo, Gamarra, Javier G P ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1290-9559, Gianelle, Damiano ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7697-5793, Glick, Henry B, Harris, David J ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6801-2484, Hector, Andrew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1309-7716, Hemp, Andreas, Hengeveld, Geerten, Hérault, Bruno ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6950-7286, Herbohn, John L, Herold, Martin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0246-6886, Hillers, Annika, Honorio Coronado, Eurídice N ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2314-590X, Hui, Cang ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3660-8160, Ibanez, Thomas T, Amaral, Iêda, Imai, Nobuo, Jagodziński, Andrzej M ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6899-0985, Jaroszewicz, Bogdan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2042-8245, Johannsen, Vivian Kvist ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1268-9787 and et al (2023) The global biogeography of tree leaf form and habit. Nature Plants, 9 (11). pp. 1795-1809. ISSN 2055-0278

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Abstract

Understanding what controls global leaf type variation in trees is crucial for comprehending their role in terrestrial ecosystems, including carbon, water and nutrient dynamics. Yet our understanding of the factors influencing forest leaf types remains incomplete, leaving us uncertain about the global proportions of needle-leaved, broadleaved, evergreen and deciduous trees. To address these gaps, we conducted a global, ground-sourced assessment of forest leaf-type variation by integrating forest inventory data with comprehensive leaf form (broadleaf vs needle-leaf) and habit (evergreen vs deciduous) records. We found that global variation in leaf habit is primarily driven by isothermality and soil characteristics, while leaf form is predominantly driven by temperature. Given these relationships, we estimate that 38% of global tree individuals are needle-leaved evergreen, 29% are broadleaved evergreen, 27% are broadleaved deciduous and 5% are needle-leaved deciduous. The aboveground biomass distribution among these tree types is approximately 21% (126.4 Gt), 54% (335.7 Gt), 22% (136.2 Gt) and 3% (18.7 Gt), respectively. We further project that, depending on future emissions pathways, 17–34% of forested areas will experience climate conditions by the end of the century that currently support a different forest type, highlighting the intensification of climatic stress on existing forests. By quantifying the distribution of tree leaf types and their corresponding biomass, and identifying regions where climate change will exert greatest pressure on current leaf types, our results can help improve predictions of future terrestrial ecosystem functioning and carbon cycling.