Tree leaf form in Brunei: A heath forest and a mixed dipterocarp forest compared.
Date
2000
Authors
Turner, I
Lucas, P
Becker, P
Wong, Suan Chin
Yong, Jean
Choong, M
Tyree, M
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Abstract
Canopy-top leaves of the dominant tree species from two 0.96-ha plots in Brunei, northern Borneo, were sampled for structural and chemical analysis. Thirteen species from the mixed dipterocarp forest at Andulau and 14 from the lowland heath forest at Badas were studied. The heath-forest species had significantly thicker leaves and were lower in nitrogen and ash concentration than those from the mixed dipterocarp forest. There were no significant differences between the two species groups in leaf mass per unit area (LMA), leaf fracture toughness, carbon concentration, δ13C, neutral detergent fiber concentration, sclerophylly index, and stomatal density. A significant negative correlation between %C and δ13C was found for the species from the mixed dipterocarp forest, but not those from the heath forest. The degree of sclerophylly measured in physical terms overlapped between the two sites to a considerable degree; however, all six species tested that were present in both plots had higher leaf fracture toughness in the heath forest. The possible reasons for the marked sclerophylly in the mixed dipterocarp forest are discussed.
Description
Keywords
Keywords: comparative study; forest ecosystem; leaf morphology; Borneo d13C; Borneo; Dipterocarpaceae; Heath forest; Physiognomy; Sclerophylly
Citation
Collections
Source
Biotropica
Type
Journal article