EGU23-11921, updated on 26 Feb 2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-11921
EGU General Assembly 2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Trait-based, spatial, and temporal variation in leaf temperature of tropical trees.

Olivier Jean Leonce Manzi1,2, Maria Wittemann1, Myriam Mujawamariya1,3, Aloysie Manishimwe1,3, Jacques Habimana1, Eric Mirindi Dusenge1,5, Etienne Zibera1,3, Lasse Tarvainen1, Donat Nsabimana4, Göran Wallin1, and Johan Uddling1
Olivier Jean Leonce Manzi et al.
  • 1University of Gothenburg, Science, Biological and Environmental Science, Sweden (olivier.manzi@bioenv.gu.se)
  • 2Integrated Polytechnic Regional College-Kitabi, Rwanda Polytechnic, PO Box 330, Huye, Rwanda
  • 3Department of Biology, University of Rwanda, University Avenue, PO Box 117, Huye, Rwanda
  • 4School of Forestry and Biodiversity and Biological Sciences, University of Rwanda, Busogo, Rwanda
  • 5The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

Current estimates of temperature effects on plants are usually based on air temperature (Tair), although it is well known that leaf temperature (Tleaf) can deviate considerably from Tair. In some studies, to overcome the problem of Tair often being a poor proxy of Tleaf, measurements of canopy temperature (Tcan) have been used instead. However, Tcan data do not capture the spatial variation in Tleaf among leaves with different thermoregulatory traits. This may be particularly problematic for highly diverse and heterogeneous tropical forest canopies. In this study, we used infrared thermometers to study Tleaf and Tcan in multispecies tropical tree plantations established at three sites along an elevation gradient from 2,400 m a.s.l. (17.1°C mean daytime temperature) to 1,300 m a.s.l. (24.0°C) in Rwanda.  Measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence were also conducted to study the photosynthetic heat tolerance of these species. Our results showed high Tleaf (up to ~50°C) and leaf-to-air temperature differences (ΔTleaf; on average 8-10°C and up to 24°C) of sun-exposed leaves. Both leaf size and stomatal conductance were important traits in controlling Tleaf. The Tleaf (and thus ΔTleaf) of sun-exposed leaves greatly exceeded the simultaneously measured values of Tcan (and ΔTcan). Photosynthetic heat tolerance partially acclimated to increased growth temperature; on average 0.31°C increase in heat tolerance per 1°C increase in growth temperature. Consequently, thermal safety margins were narrower for species at the warmer, lower-elevation sites. Our findings highlight the importance of leaf traits for leaf thermoregulation and show that monitoring of canopy temperature is not enough to capture the peak temperatures and heat stress experienced by individual leaves in diverse tropical forest canopies. They also suggest that tropical trees have limited abilities to thermally acclimate to increasing temperatures.

Keywords: Canopy temperature, elevation gradient, fluorescence, heat tolerance, leaf area, leaf temperature, stomatal conductance, thermoregulation, tropical forest.

How to cite: Manzi, O. J. L., Wittemann, M., Mujawamariya, M., Manishimwe, A., Habimana, J., Dusenge, E. M., Zibera, E., Tarvainen, L., Nsabimana, D., Wallin, G., and Uddling, J.: Trait-based, spatial, and temporal variation in leaf temperature of tropical trees., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 24–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-11921, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-11921, 2023.