Leaf wax n-alkane patterns of six tropical montane tree species show species-specific environmental response.

ABSTRACT: It remains poorly understood how the composition of leaf wax n-alkanes reflects the local environment. This knowledge gap inhibits the interpretation of plant responses to the environment at the community level and, by extension, inhibits the applicability of n-alkane patterns as a proxy for past environments. Here, we studied the n-alkane patterns of five Miconia species and one Guarea species, in the Ecuadorian Andes (653-3,507 m a.s.l.). We tested for species-specific responses in the average chain length (ACL), the C₃₁/(C₃₁ + C₂₉) ratio (ratio), and individual odd n-alkane chain lengths across an altitudinally driven environmental gradient (mean annual temperature, mean annual relative air humidity, and mean ann

SUBMITTER: Teunissen van Manen ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6706217 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature