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Isotopic composition of leaf carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) of deciduous and evergreen understorey trees in two tropical Brazilian Atlantic forests

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 April 2018

Angela Pierre Vitória ,
Eleinis Ávila-Lovera ,
Tatiane de Oliveira Vieira ,
Ana Paula Lima do Couto-Santos ,
Tiago José Pereira ,
Ligia Silveira Funch ,
Leandro Freitas ,
Lia d'Afonseca Pedreira de Miranda ,
Pablo J. F. Pena Rodrigues  and
Carlos Eduardo Rezende
...Show all authors
Angela Pierre Vitória*
Affiliation:
Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Laboratório de Ciências Ambientais, Av. Alberto Lamego, 2000, UENF, CBB, Parque Califórnia, 28013–602, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Eleinis Ávila-Lovera
Affiliation:
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Tatiane de Oliveira Vieira
Affiliation:
Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Laboratório de Ciências Ambientais, Av. Alberto Lamego, 2000, UENF, CBB, Parque Califórnia, 28013–602, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Ana Paula Lima do Couto-Santos
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciências Exatas e Naturais, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, BR 415, Km 3, 45700-000, Itapetinga, Bahia, Brazil
Tiago José Pereira
Affiliation:
Department of Nematology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Ligia Silveira Funch
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, BR 116, Km 3, 44031–460, Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil
Leandro Freitas
Affiliation:
Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Pacheco Leão, 915, 22460-030, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Lia d'Afonseca Pedreira de Miranda
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, BR 116, Km 3, 44031–460, Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil
Pablo J. F. Pena Rodrigues
Affiliation:
Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Pacheco Leão, 915, 22460-030, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Carlos Eduardo Rezende
Affiliation:
Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Laboratório de Ciências Ambientais, Av. Alberto Lamego, 2000, UENF, CBB, Parque Califórnia, 28013–602, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Louis S. Santiago
Affiliation:
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843–03092, Balboa, Republic of Panamá
*
*Corresponding author. Email: apvitoria@gmail.com
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Abstract:

Isotopic composition of leaf carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) is determined by biotic and abiotic factors. In order to determine the influence of leaf habit and site on leaf δ13C and δ15N in the understorey of two Atlantic forests in Brazil that differ in annual precipitation (1200 and 1900 mm), we measured these isotopes in the shaded understorey of 38 tropical tree species (20 in the 1200-mm site and 18 in the 1900-mm site). Mean site values for δ15N were significantly lower at the 1200-mm site (−1.4‰) compared with the 1900-mm site (+3.0‰), and δ13C was significantly greater in the 1200-mm site (−30.4‰) than in the 1900-mm site (−31.6‰). Leaf C concentration was greater and leaf N concentration was lower at 1200-mm than at 1900-mm. Leaf δ15N was negatively correlated with δ13C across the two sites. Leaf δ13C and δ15N of evergreen and deciduous species were not significantly different within a site. No significant phylogenetic signal for any traits among the study species was found. Overall, site differences were the main factor distinguishing traits among species, suggesting strong functional convergence to local climate and soils within each site for individuals in the shaded understorey.

Keywords

leaf habitleaf traitsN and C concentrationtropical rain forestwater use efficiency
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 34 , Issue 2 , March 2018 , pp. 145 - 156
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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