Non-structural carbohydrates mediate seasonal water stress across Amazon forests.

ABSTRACT: Non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) are major substrates for plant metabolism and have been implicated in mediating drought-induced tree mortality. Despite their significance, NSC dynamics in tropical forests remain little studied. We present leaf and branch NSC data for 82 Amazon canopy tree species in six sites spanning a broad precipitation gradient. During the wet season, total NSC (NSC_T) concentrations in both organs were remarkably similar across communities. However, NSC_T and its soluble sugar (SS) and starch components varied much more across sites during the dry season. Notably, the proportion of leaf NSC_T in the form of SS (SS:NSC_T) increased greatly in the dry season in almost all species in the driest sites, implying an important role

SUBMITTER: Signori-Muller C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8055652 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature