Search NASA⌕ Search
Home/Archive/DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI · 2563346

Leaf nonstructural carbohydrate residence time, not concentration, correlates with leaf functional traits following the leaf economic spectrum in woody plants

Asao, Shinichi [Australian National University, Canberra (Australia)] (ORCID:0000000203345464)·Way, Danielle A. [Australian National University, Canberra (Australia); University of Western Ontario, London, ON (Canada); Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000348015319)·Turnbull, Matthew H. [University of Canterbury, Christchurch (New Zealand)] (ORCID:0000000234335859)·Stitt, Mark [Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000249001763)·McDowell, Nate G. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Washington State University, Pullman, WA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000221782254)·Reich, Peter B. [University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States); University of Western Sydney, NSW (Australia). Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)] (ORCID:000000034424662X)·Bloomfield, Keith J. [Australian National University, Canberra (Australia); Imperial College, London (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000264924507)·Zaragoza‐Castells, Joana [University of Exeter, Devon (United Kingdom)]·Creek, Danielle [Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås (Norway)] (ORCID:0000000282422359)·O'Sullivan, Odhran [Australian National University, Canberra (Australia)] (ORCID:0000000214481066)·Crous, Kristine Y. [Australian National University, Canberra (Australia); University of Western Sydney, NSW (Australia). Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment] (ORCID:0000000194787593)·Egerton, John J.G. [Australian National University, Canberra (Australia)] (ORCID:0000000286575109)·Mirotchnick, Nicholas [University of Toronto, ON (Canada)] (ORCID:0000000220781460)·Weerasinghe, Lasantha K. [Australian National University, Canberra (Australia); University of Peradeniya (Sri Lanka)] (ORCID:0000000251738000)·Griffin, Kevin L. [Columbia University, Palisades (United States); Columbia University, New York, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000341243757)·Hurry, Vaughan [Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Umea (Sweden)] (ORCID:0000000151515184)·Meir, Patrick [Australian National University, Canberra (Australia)] (ORCID:0000000223620398)·Sitch, Stephen [University of Exeter, Devon (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000318218561)·Atkin, Owen K. [Australian National University, Canberra (Australia)] (ORCID:0000000310415202)
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations might reflect the strategies described in the leaf economic spectrum (LES) due to their dependence on photosynthesis and respiration. Here, we examined if NSC concentrations correlate with leaf structure, chemistry, and physiology traits for 114 species from 19 sites and 5 biomes around the globe. Total leaf NSC concentrations varied greatly from 16 to 199 mg g -1 dry mass and were mostly independent of leaf gas exchange and the LES traits. By contrast, leaf NSC residence time was shorter in species with higher rates of photosynthesis, following the fast-slow strategies in the LES. An average leaf held an amount of NSCs that could sustain one night of leaf respiration and could be replenished in just a few hours of photosynthesis under saturating light, indicating that most daily carbon gain is exported. Our results suggest that NSC export is clearly linked to the economics of return on resource investment.

Explore related subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCEScarbohydratesexport, leaf economic spectrumleafleaf functional traitsnonstructural carbohydrateresidence time

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Asao, Shinichi [Australian National University, Canberra (Australia)] (ORCID:0000000203345464), Way, Danielle A. [Australian National University, Canberra (Australia); University of Western Ontario, London, ON (Canada); Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000348015319), Turnbull, Matthew H. [University of Canterbury, Christchurch (New Zealand)] (ORCID:0000000234335859), Stitt, Mark [Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000249001763), McDowell, Nate G. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Washington State University, Pullman, WA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000221782254), Reich, Peter B. [University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States); University of Western Sydney, NSW (Australia). Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)] (ORCID:000000034424662X), Bloomfield, Keith J. [Australian National University, Canberra (Australia); Imperial College, London (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000264924507), Zaragoza‐Castells, Joana [University of Exeter, Devon (United Kingdom)], Creek, Danielle [Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås (Norway)] (ORCID:0000000282422359), O'Sullivan, Odhran [Australian National University, Canberra (Australia)] (ORCID:0000000214481066), Crous, Kristine Y. [Australian National University, Canberra (Australia); University of Western Sydney, NSW (Australia). Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment] (ORCID:0000000194787593), Egerton, John J.G. [Australian National University, Canberra (Australia)] (ORCID:0000000286575109), Mirotchnick, Nicholas [University of Toronto, ON (Canada)] (ORCID:0000000220781460), Weerasinghe, Lasantha K. [Australian National University, Canberra (Australia); University of Peradeniya (Sri Lanka)] (ORCID:0000000251738000), Griffin, Kevin L. [Columbia University, Palisades (United States); Columbia University, New York, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000341243757), Hurry, Vaughan [Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Umea (Sweden)] (ORCID:0000000151515184), Meir, Patrick [Australian National University, Canberra (Australia)] (ORCID:0000000223620398), Sitch, Stephen [University of Exeter, Devon (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000318218561), Atkin, Owen K. [Australian National University, Canberra (Australia)] (ORCID:0000000310415202). 2024-12-08. Leaf nonstructural carbohydrate residence time, not concentration, correlates with leaf functional traits following the leaf economic spectrum in woody plants. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.20315

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related reports

DOE OSTI2026

Soil metagenomics umbrella narrative

Implementing accessible, authentic research experiences in introductory courses is challenging, particularly at institutions serving diverse student populations. To address this gap, we developed and deployed a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) focused on plant-microbe interactions in General Biology II at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU), a minority-serving institution with a diverse student body. Students grew sugar beets (Beta vulgaris), extracted DNA from the rhizoplane, and used the Department of Energy Systems Biology Knowledgebase (KBase) for bioinformatic analysis to compare microbial relative abundance in fertilized versus unfertilized soil. Over five semesters, the CURE engaged 103 students and leveraged the intuitive KBase platform to make complex sequencing data accessible. Pre/post-course survey data revealed significant increases in student self-assessed research skills, including the ability to explain results and determine the types of data to collect. Furthermore, students reported significant gains in confidence related to experimental design and hypothesis development, alongside a strong increase in familiarity with KBase. Informal faculty feedback indicated high student engagement and appreciation for the real-world connections (e.g. food systems, agriculture, and health). This scalable, low-cost model effectively integrates data science tools into the foundational curriculum, demonstrating a potent strategy for boosting research skills and broadening participation in authentic scientific inquiry among diverse undergraduate students.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Genome-resolved insights into microbial diversity and elemental cycling in Winogradsky columns

We retained 18 MAGs with ≥50% completion and <10% contamination (i.e., at least medium quality). Of these, 10 had >90% completion and <5% contamination; however, only one (Paceibacteria Bin.003_MG) can be described as high-quality, as the others lacked a full suite of 5S, 16S, and 23S rRNA genes. To maximize the diversity of our recovered MAGs, we also retained one MAG (Chromatiaceae Bin.008_AM) with >40% (but less than 50%) completion and <5% contamination, as well as one (Rhodopseudomonas Bin.015_MK) with >90% completion and <20% (but>10%) contamination. Interestingly, significant chimerism was not detected in this MAG (40) , suggesting that the elevated contamination (20%) may instead reflect two closely related strains collapsing into a single bin. Consistent with this, contig coverage was bimodal, with roughly 17% of the assembly at ~115x and the remaining 83% at ~282x, while GC content remained uniform across both groups (~64%), arguing against contamination from a taxonomically distinct source.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗