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Variation of non‐structural carbohydrates across the fast–slow continuum in Amazon Forest canopy trees
Author(s) -
SignoriMüller Caroline,
Oliveira Rafael S.,
Valentim Tavares Julia,
Carvalho Diniz Francisco,
Gilpin Martin,
de V. Barros Fernanda,
Marca Zevallos Manuel J.,
Salas Yupayccana Carlos A.,
Nina Alex,
Brum Mauro,
Baker Timothy R.,
Cosio Eric G.,
Malhi Yadvinder,
Monteagudo Mendoza Abel,
Phillips Oliver L.,
Rowland Lucy,
Salinas Norma,
Vasquez Rodolfo,
Mencuccini Maurizio,
Galbraith David
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
functional ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.272
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1365-2435
pISSN - 0269-8463
DOI - 10.1111/1365-2435.13971
Subject(s) - biology , canopy , amazon rainforest , seasonality , range (aeronautics) , tree canopy , ecology , botany , materials science , composite material
Tropical tree species span a range of life‐history strategies within a fast–slow continuum. The position of a species within this continuum is thought to reflect a negative relationship between growth and storage, with fast‐growing species allocating more carbon to growth and slow‐growing species investing more in storage. For tropical species, the relationship between storage and life‐history strategies has been largely studied on seedlings and less so in adult trees. We evaluated how stored non‐structural carbohydrates (NSC) vary across adult trees spanning the fast–slow continuum in the Peruvian Amazon by: (a) analysing whole‐tree NSC in two species of contrasting growth and (b) investigating the relationships with key life‐history traits across a broader set of species. Our results are consistent with a growth–storage trade‐off. The analysis of whole‐tree NSC revealed that the slow‐growing Eschweilera coriacea stored about 2.7 times as much NSC as the fast‐growing Bixa arborea due to markedly higher storage in woody stems and roots. B . arborea also had higher seasonality in NSC, reflecting its strong seasonality in stem growth. Across a range of species, stem starch was negatively related to species growth rate and positively related to wood density. Given the role of NSC in mediating plants' response to stress, our results suggest that slow‐growing species with greater storage reserves may be more resilient to drought than fast‐growing species.