Why do some leaves live longer than others?
Tree leaves have very different lifespans. Some survive for decades, others for only a season. The reasons for this are complex.
Economic decisions of trees
Tree leaves have very different lifespans. The leaves of the baobab tree can live for more than two decades. By contrast, maple leaves survive only a single season.
According to a Science Advances published study, these large differences are attributable to “economic” decisions that the various trees must make.
“We already knew that conifers and other evergreen trees have longer-lived leaves the closer they are to the poles,” explains lead author Han Wang. “With deciduous trees, it is exactly the opposite.”
Maximising carbon uptake
“Each tree species chooses the best way to maximise its carbon uptake,” says Ian Wright, plant ecologist at Macquarie University. “Evergreen conifers growing on poor soils in regions with long, cold winters can only thrive if they invest in their leaves over the long term.”
These findings have the potential to transform ecology into a predictive science that enables better and more accurate global and regional climate models. More on the topic of Environment and Nature Conservation.
| You can help all animals and our planet with compassion. Choose compassion on your plate and in your glass. Go vegan. |
