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Author Spotlight: Leaf Trait Analysis for Climate and Ecology Reconstruction in Modern and Ancient Plant Communities

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An integrated leaf trait analysis of two Paleogene leaf floras.

Christian Müller¹, Agathe Toumoulin², Helen Böttcher³

¹Museum of Mineralogy and Geology, Senckenberg Natural History Collections Dresden, Dresden, Saxony, Germany.

|April 17, 2023

Summary

Fossil leaf analysis reveals insect herbivory patterns are complex, influenced by leaf traits like morphology, size, and phenology, not just leaf type. This integrated approach enhances understanding of past plant-insect interactions.

Keywords:

Fossil leaves Insect herbivory Integrated Leaf Trait Analysis Leaf mass per area Leaf properties Leaf traits Multivariate analysis Oligocene Paleogene Plant-insect interaction

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Relating Stomatal Conductance to Leaf Functional Traits

Relating Stomatal Conductance to Leaf Functional Traits

Published on: October 12, 2015

Area of Science:

Paleobotany
Paleoecology
Insect Paleobiology

Background:

Fossil leaf assemblages offer insights into past ecosystems.
Understanding plant-insect interactions is key to reconstructing ancient environments.
Leaf traits and herbivory patterns provide valuable ecological data.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop an Integrated Leaf Trait Analysis (ILTA) workflow.
To analyze leaf morphological variability and insect herbivory patterns in fossil dicot leaves.
To explore relationships between leaf traits, plant characteristics, and herbivory.

Main Methods:

Analysis of early Oligocene leaf assemblages from Germany and the Czech Republic.
Utilized the Trait Combination Type (TCT) approach for leaf morphology.
Quantified leaf traits (e.g., leaf area, leaf mass per area) and insect herbivory metrics.

Main Results:

Leaf assemblages differed in TCT proportions and quantitative traits, reflecting vegetation differences.
Seifhennersdorf showed more deciduous species with toothed leaves; Suletice-Berand had more evergreen species.
Insect herbivory was more frequent and diverse in Suletice-Berand, particularly on toothed, low LM_A leaves.

Conclusions:

TCTs and quantitative leaf traits correlate with vegetation composition.
Leaf morphology alone does not explain herbivory differences.
Insect herbivory is a complex interplay of leaf morphology, LM_A, phenology, and taxonomic affiliation.