Leaf nonstructural carbohydrate residence time, not concentration, correlates with leaf functional traits following the leaf economic spectrum in woody plants

Shinichi Asao; Danielle A. Way; Matthew H. Turnbull; Mark Stitt; Nate G. McDowell; Peter B. Reich; Keith J. Bloomfield; Joana Zaragoza-Castells; Danielle Creek; Odhran O'Sullivan; Kristine Y. Crous; John J.G. Egerton; Nicholas Mirotchnick; Lasantha K. Weerasinghe; Kevin L. Griffin; Vaughan Hurry; Patrick Meir; Stephen Sitch; Owen K. Atkin

doi:10.1111/nph.20315

Leaf nonstructural carbohydrate residence time, not concentration, correlates with leaf functional traits following the leaf economic spectrum in woody plants

Shinichi Asao, Danielle A. Way, Matthew H. Turnbull^*, Mark Stitt, Nate G. McDowell, Peter B. Reich, Keith J. Bloomfield, Joana Zaragoza-Castells, Danielle Creek, Odhran O'Sullivan, Kristine Y. Crous, John J.G. Egerton, Nicholas Mirotchnick, Lasantha K. Weerasinghe, Kevin L. Griffin, Vaughan Hurry, Patrick Meir, Stephen Sitch, Owen K. Atkin^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations might reflect the strategies described in the leaf economic spectrum (LES) due to their dependence on photosynthesis and respiration. We examined if NSC concentrations correlate with leaf structure, chemistry, and physiology traits for 114 species from 19 sites and 5 biomes around the globe. Total leaf NSC concentrations varied greatly from 16 to 199 mg g⁻¹ dry mass and were mostly independent of leaf gas exchange and the LES traits. By contrast, leaf NSC residence time was shorter in species with higher rates of photosynthesis, following the fast-slow strategies in the LES. An average leaf held an amount of NSCs that could sustain one night of leaf respiration and could be replenished in just a few hours of photosynthesis under saturating light, indicating that most daily carbon gain is exported. Our results suggest that NSC export is clearly linked to the economics of return on resource investment.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1505-1519
Number of pages	15
Journal	New Phytologist
Volume	246
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.20315
Publication status	Published - May 2025

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Asao, S., Way, D. A., Turnbull, M. H., Stitt, M., McDowell, N. G., Reich, P. B., Bloomfield, K. J., Zaragoza-Castells, J., Creek, D., O'Sullivan, O., Crous, K. Y., Egerton, J. J. G., Mirotchnick, N., Weerasinghe, L. K., Griffin, K. L., Hurry, V., Meir, P., Sitch, S., & Atkin, O. K. (2025). Leaf nonstructural carbohydrate residence time, not concentration, correlates with leaf functional traits following the leaf economic spectrum in woody plants. New Phytologist, 246(4), 1505-1519. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.20315

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title = "Leaf nonstructural carbohydrate residence time, not concentration, correlates with leaf functional traits following the leaf economic spectrum in woody plants",

abstract = "Nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations might reflect the strategies described in the leaf economic spectrum (LES) due to their dependence on photosynthesis and respiration. We examined if NSC concentrations correlate with leaf structure, chemistry, and physiology traits for 114 species from 19 sites and 5 biomes around the globe. Total leaf NSC concentrations varied greatly from 16 to 199 mg g−1 dry mass and were mostly independent of leaf gas exchange and the LES traits. By contrast, leaf NSC residence time was shorter in species with higher rates of photosynthesis, following the fast-slow strategies in the LES. An average leaf held an amount of NSCs that could sustain one night of leaf respiration and could be replenished in just a few hours of photosynthesis under saturating light, indicating that most daily carbon gain is exported. Our results suggest that NSC export is clearly linked to the economics of return on resource investment.",

keywords = "export, leaf economic spectrum, leaf functional traits, nonstructural carbohydrate, residence time",

author = "Shinichi Asao and Way, {Danielle A.} and Turnbull, {Matthew H.} and Mark Stitt and McDowell, {Nate G.} and Reich, {Peter B.} and Bloomfield, {Keith J.} and Joana Zaragoza-Castells and Danielle Creek and Odhran O'Sullivan and Crous, {Kristine Y.} and Egerton, {John J.G.} and Nicholas Mirotchnick and Weerasinghe, {Lasantha K.} and Griffin, {Kevin L.} and Vaughan Hurry and Patrick Meir and Stephen Sitch and Atkin, {Owen K.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 The Author(s). New Phytologist {\textcopyright} 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.",

year = "2025",

month = may,

doi = "10.1111/nph.20315",

language = "English",

volume = "246",

pages = "1505--1519",

journal = "New Phytologist",

issn = "0028-646X",

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Asao, S, Way, DA, Turnbull, MH, Stitt, M, McDowell, NG, Reich, PB, Bloomfield, KJ, Zaragoza-Castells, J, Creek, D, O'Sullivan, O, Crous, KY, Egerton, JJG, Mirotchnick, N, Weerasinghe, LK, Griffin, KL, Hurry, V, Meir, P, Sitch, S & Atkin, OK 2025, 'Leaf nonstructural carbohydrate residence time, not concentration, correlates with leaf functional traits following the leaf economic spectrum in woody plants', New Phytologist, vol. 246, no. 4, pp. 1505-1519. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.20315

TY - JOUR

T1 - Leaf nonstructural carbohydrate residence time, not concentration, correlates with leaf functional traits following the leaf economic spectrum in woody plants

AU - Asao, Shinichi

AU - Way, Danielle A.

AU - Turnbull, Matthew H.

AU - Stitt, Mark

AU - McDowell, Nate G.

AU - Reich, Peter B.

AU - Bloomfield, Keith J.

AU - Zaragoza-Castells, Joana

AU - Creek, Danielle

AU - O'Sullivan, Odhran

AU - Crous, Kristine Y.

AU - Egerton, John J.G.

AU - Mirotchnick, Nicholas

AU - Weerasinghe, Lasantha K.

AU - Griffin, Kevin L.

AU - Hurry, Vaughan

AU - Meir, Patrick

AU - Sitch, Stephen

AU - Atkin, Owen K.

PY - 2025/5

Y1 - 2025/5

N2 - Nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations might reflect the strategies described in the leaf economic spectrum (LES) due to their dependence on photosynthesis and respiration. We examined if NSC concentrations correlate with leaf structure, chemistry, and physiology traits for 114 species from 19 sites and 5 biomes around the globe. Total leaf NSC concentrations varied greatly from 16 to 199 mg g−1 dry mass and were mostly independent of leaf gas exchange and the LES traits. By contrast, leaf NSC residence time was shorter in species with higher rates of photosynthesis, following the fast-slow strategies in the LES. An average leaf held an amount of NSCs that could sustain one night of leaf respiration and could be replenished in just a few hours of photosynthesis under saturating light, indicating that most daily carbon gain is exported. Our results suggest that NSC export is clearly linked to the economics of return on resource investment.

AB - Nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations might reflect the strategies described in the leaf economic spectrum (LES) due to their dependence on photosynthesis and respiration. We examined if NSC concentrations correlate with leaf structure, chemistry, and physiology traits for 114 species from 19 sites and 5 biomes around the globe. Total leaf NSC concentrations varied greatly from 16 to 199 mg g−1 dry mass and were mostly independent of leaf gas exchange and the LES traits. By contrast, leaf NSC residence time was shorter in species with higher rates of photosynthesis, following the fast-slow strategies in the LES. An average leaf held an amount of NSCs that could sustain one night of leaf respiration and could be replenished in just a few hours of photosynthesis under saturating light, indicating that most daily carbon gain is exported. Our results suggest that NSC export is clearly linked to the economics of return on resource investment.

KW - export

KW - leaf economic spectrum

KW - leaf functional traits

KW - nonstructural carbohydrate

KW - residence time

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U2 - 10.1111/nph.20315

DO - 10.1111/nph.20315

M3 - Article

C2 - 39648408

AN - SCOPUS:105003416289

SN - 0028-646X

VL - 246

SP - 1505

EP - 1519

JO - New Phytologist

JF - New Phytologist

IS - 4

ER -

Leaf nonstructural carbohydrate residence time, not concentration, correlates with leaf functional traits following the leaf economic spectrum in woody plants

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