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Updated: Jan 31, 2026
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Methods of Soil Resampling to Monitor Changes in the Chemical Concentrations of Forest Soils
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Pantropical moist forests are converging towards a middle leaf longevity.
Meimei Xue1, Xueqin Yang1,2, Xiuzhi Chen3
1Guangdong Province Data Center of Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems Carbon Cycle, School of Atmospheric Sciences, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China.
Nature Communications
|January 29, 2026
Summary
Climate change is altering leaf longevity across pantropical forests. Long-lived leaves are shortening, while short-lived leaves are lengthening, leading to a more uniform leaf longevity range.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Climate Change Biology
- Forest Science
Background:
- Leaf longevity is a key plant trait influencing ecosystem function in tropical forests.
- Spatiotemporal variations in leaf longevity and their response to climate change remain poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To map continental-scale leaf longevity variability in pantropical moist forests from 2001-2023.
- To investigate biome-dependent trends and mechanisms of leaf longevity changes under climate change.
Main Methods:
- Utilized ground measurements and gridded leaf age-dependent leaf area index data.
- Analyzed annual mean leaf longevity across pantropical moist forests over a 23-year period.
Main Results:
- Observed biome-dependent trends in leaf longevity, with decreases in Amazon and tropical Asia, and increases in Congo and subtropical Asia.
- Identified rising temperatures and atmospheric dryness as drivers of decreased leaf longevity in long-lived forests.
- Documented a convergence of leaf longevity towards a middle range across pantropical forests.
Conclusions:
- Pantropical forests are exhibiting large-scale structural and functional adaptations to climate change.
- The convergence in leaf longevity may enhance ecosystem resilience and resistance to climate variability.
- Findings aid in predicting climate-driven risks to ecosystem stability.
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