Drivers of the differentiation between broad-leaved trees and shrubs in the shift from evergreen to deciduous leaf habit in forests of eastern Asian subtropics.

ABSTRACT: In eastern Asian subtropical forests, leaf habit shifts from evergreen to deciduous broad-leaved woody plants toward higher latitudes. This shift has been largely explained by the greater capacity of deciduous broad-leaved plants to respond to harsh climatic conditions (e.g., greater seasonality). The advantages of deciduous leaf habit over evergreen leaf habit in more seasonal climates have led us to hypothesize that leaf habits would shift in response to climate changes more conspicuously in forest canopy trees than in forest understory shrubs. Furthermore, we hypothesize that in the forests of the subtropics, plants at higher latitudes, regardless of growth form, would better tolerate seasonal harsh climates, and hence show less differentiation in leaf habit shift, compared to those at

SUBMITTER: Jin Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10625919 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature