Variation in leaf anatomical traits from tropical to cold-temperate forests and linkage to ecosystem functions

1. Leaf anatomical traits may reflect plant's adaption to environmental changes and influence ecosystem functions, as they regulate light absorption and gas exchange to some extent. Here, we hypothesized that leaf anatomical traits were closely related to gross primary productivity (GPP) because photosynthesis commonly occurs in the chloroplasts of palisade and spongy tissues in leaf.

2. Eight leaf anatomical traits were measured in 916 plant species inhabiting from tropical to cold-temperate forests in eastern China: adaxial epidermis thickness (AD), abaxial epidermis thickness (AB), leaf thickness (LT), palisade tissue thickness (PT), and spongy tissue thickness (ST), palisade-spongy tissue ratio (PT/ST), palisade tissue-leaf thickness ratio (PT/LT), and spongy tissue-leaf thickness ratio (ST/LT).

3. Leaf anatomical traits showed significant latitudinal patterns at species, plant functional groups (PFGs), and communities levels (P < 0.05), and they differed between PFG and co...