Leaf Dry Matter Content Is Phylogenetically Conserved and Related to Environmental Conditions, Especially Wildfire...

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Plant Science
• Global Change Biology

Background:

• Leaf dry matter content (LDMC) is a key trait determining plant flammability.
• Understanding global LDMC patterns is crucial for effective wildfire management.
• Phylogenetic and environmental factors are known to influence plant traits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize global patterns of Leaf dry matter content (LDMC) across diverse plant species.
• To investigate the influence of phylogenetic and environmental factors on LDMC.
• To assess the role of wildfire activity in shaping LDMC, particularly in fire-prone ecosystems.

Main Methods:

• Global analysis of LDMC across 4074 species from 216 families.
• Statistical modeling to assess phylogenetic and environmental influences on LDMC.
• Comparison of LDMC patterns between species with and without postfire regeneration strategies.

Main Results:

• LDMC exhibits significant variation across growth forms and taxonomic groups, indicating phylogenetic niche conservatism.
• Environmental factors including temperature, precipitation, aridity, soil nitrogen, and wildfire activity significantly affect LDMC.
• Wildfire activity demonstrated a stronger influence on LDMC than other environmental factors, especially for species with postfire regeneration abilities.

Conclusions:

• While LDMC displays phylogenetic niche conservatism, environmental factors, particularly wildfire activity, are strong determinants.
• High LDMC is favored in species with postfire regeneration, suggesting wildfire acts as a selective pressure.
• Global LDMC patterns are a product of both evolutionary history and contemporary environmental conditions, especially fire regimes.