Leaf thermotolerance in dry tropical forest tree species: relationships with leaf traits and effects of drought

We observed that the upper thermal limits of leaf function in 12 tree species from a seasonally dry tropical forest were perilously close to maximum temperatures in this region. Exposure to drought increased thermotolerance, and species that were more drought tolerant were also more thermotolerant. Importantly, thermotolerance was positively related to the key leaf functional trait - leaf mass per area, and negatively related to photosynthetic rates. These results indicate that tropical trees will be vulnerable to increased warming, and more productive species with lower LMA and higher photosynthetic rates may be more negatively affected by global warming and future climate change.