Understanding tree architecture, form and function in the tropics

了解热带地区的树木结构、形态和功能

• 批准号: NE/P012337/1
• 负责人: Yadvinder Malhi
• 金额: $ 48.58万
• 依托单位: University of Oxford
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2017 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FP012337%2F1
• 关键词: Understanding; tree; architecture; form; function

The basic shape and branching structure of a tree can be distinctive and characteristic, yet there exists no consistent dataset quantifying how tree form varies across species and how it is related to other functional traits of a tree. Understanding the variation in structure and form of trees is important in order to link tree physiology to tree performance, scale fluxes of water and carbon within and among trees, and understand constraints on tree growth and mortality. These topics hold great importance in the field of ecosystem science, especially in light of current and future changes to climate. It is surprising, therefore, that tree structure and form are currently neglected areas of study. There are two primary reasons for this neglect: 1) it is difficult and time-consuming to quantify tree structure in-situ and 2) there is a lack of theory that explicitly links tree form parameters with physiological function.Recent developments in technology and theory now enable us to overcome these limitations. In this proposal we aim to use new ground-based 3D terrestrial laser scanning technologies (TLS) in combination with recently developed theoretical frameworks to measure and compare tree architecture. We focus on the tropics, since (i) they host the vast majority of broadleaf tree diversity and play a disproportionate role in global and regional carbon and water fluxes, and (ii) the high species diversity of tropical forests (typically 100-250 tree species per hectare) means we can sample a large number of species under almost identical climate and soil conditions, making it more likely to detect overall tendencies in tree form response to environment that are not dominated by the peculiarity of a particular species. Specifically, we will employ TLS to collect highly-detailed 3D structural information from mature rainforest trees spanning contrasting environments ranging from cloud forests to wet rainforests to dry savanna, and contrasting biogeographical histories from the cloud forests of the Andes through legume-dominated forests of Amazonia and Africa, through the dipterocarp-dominated tall forests of Borneo, to the ancient rainforest flora of Australia. All field sites are locations where we have already collected information of the leaf and wood traits of a number of tropical trees. We plan to achieve three goals: i) definition of quantitative classes of tree form using advanced imaging and computational techniques, ii) development of an understanding of the degree of covariance between tree form and tree leaf and wood functional traits, and the degree of phylogenetic constraint and plasticity in tree form, iii) testing and refinement of metabolic-scaling based approaches to scaling fluxes and productivity of tropical tree communities. Over the course of three years our team will:1) Create a database of branch- and canopy-level trait data collected from our field campaigns. 2) Use variation in branching architecture and canopy structure traits to define a suite of branching and canopy traits that allow for the classification of tree form.3) Assess the scaling of tree form traits within trees and integrate the scaling of tree-form into a mechanistic plant scaling framework.4) Explore the link between tree-form traits and leaf and wood traits to determine a whole-tree integrated economics spectrum. In doing so, we hope to acquire a mechanistic understanding of the relationship between tree form, function, phylogeny and environment over a large spatial scale. We expect to find that behind the dazzling variety of shapes and forms found in trees hides a remarkably similar architecture based on fundamental, shared principles.

树的基本形状和分枝结构可以是独特的和有特点的，但没有一致的数据集来量化树形在不同物种中的变化以及它与树的其他功能特征的关系。了解树木结构和形态的变化，对于将树木生理与树木表现联系起来，衡量树木内部和之间的水和碳通量，以及了解对树木生长和死亡的限制，具有重要意义。这些主题在生态系统科学领域具有非常重要的意义，特别是考虑到当前和未来的气候变化。因此，令人惊讶的是，树的结构和形态目前是被忽视的研究领域。这种忽视的主要原因有两个：1)树木结构的现场量化是困难和耗时的；2)缺乏明确将树木形状参数与生理功能联系起来的理论。最近的技术和理论发展使我们能够克服这些限制。在这项提案中，我们的目标是使用新的地面3D激光扫描技术(TLS)，结合最近开发的理论框架来测量和比较树木结构。我们把重点放在热带，因为(I)那里拥有绝大多数阔叶树的多样性，在全球和区域的碳和水通量中扮演着不成比例的角色，(Ii)热带森林的高度物种多样性(通常为每公顷100-250个树种)意味着我们可以在几乎相同的气候和土壤条件下对大量物种进行采样，从而更有可能发现树形对环境的总体反应趋势，而不是特定物种的特性。具体地说，我们将使用TLS来收集成熟雨林树木的高度详细的3D结构信息，这些树木横跨从云雾森林到潮湿的雨林到干燥的稀树草原等不同环境，并对比从安第斯山脉的云雾森林到亚马逊和非洲的豆类为主的森林，再到婆罗洲以龙舌兰为主的高大森林，再到澳大利亚的古老雨林植物群。所有野外地点都是我们已经收集了一些热带树木的叶子和木材特征的信息的地点。我们计划实现三个目标：i)使用先进的成像和计算技术定义树形的量化类别，ii)了解树形与树叶和木材功能性状之间的协方差程度，以及树形的系统发育约束和可塑性程度，iii)测试和改进基于代谢尺度的方法来衡量热带树木群落的通量和生产力。在三年的时间里，我们的团队将：1)创建从我们的实地活动中收集的树枝和树冠级别的特征数据的数据库。2)利用树枝结构和冠层结构性状的差异来定义一套允许对树形进行分类的分枝和冠层性状。3)评估树形性状在树内的尺度，并将树形尺度整合到一个机械性植物尺度框架中。4)探索树形性状与叶和木材性状之间的联系，以确定全树综合经济谱。通过这样做，我们希望在大的空间尺度上对树的形态、功能、系统发育和环境之间的关系有一个机械性的理解。我们希望发现，在树上发现的令人眼花缭乱的各种形状和形式的背后，隐藏着一个基于基本的、共同的原则的非常相似的建筑。

项目成果

Finite element analysis of trees in the wind based on terrestrial laser scanning data

• DOI: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2018.11.014
• 发表时间: 2019-02-15
• 期刊: AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
• 影响因子: 6.2
• 作者: Jackson, T.;Shenkin, A.;Malhi, Y.
• 通讯作者: Malhi, Y.

Quantifying branch architecture of tropical trees using terrestrial LiDAR and 3D modelling

• DOI: 10.1007/s00468-018-1704-1
• 发表时间: 2018-10-01
• 期刊: TREES-STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
• 影响因子: 2.3
• 作者: Lau, Alvaro;Bentley, Lisa Patrick;Herold, Martin
• 通讯作者: Herold, Martin

A New Architectural Perspective on Wind Damage in a Natural Forest

• DOI: 10.3389/ffgc.2018.00013
• 发表时间: 2019-01-07
• 期刊: FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE
• 影响因子: 3.2
• 作者: Jackson, Tobias;Shenkin, Alexander;Malhi, Yadvinder
• 通讯作者: Malhi, Yadvinder

Estimating architecture-based metabolic scaling exponents of tropical trees using terrestrial LiDAR and 3D modelling

• DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2019.02.019
• 发表时间: 2019-05-01
• 期刊: FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
• 影响因子: 3.7
• 作者: Lau, Alvaro;Martius, Christopher;Bentley, Lisa Patrick
• 通讯作者: Bentley, Lisa Patrick

The mechanical stability of the world's tallest broadleaf trees

• DOI: 10.1111/btp.12850
• 发表时间: 2020-10-05
• 期刊: BIOTROPICA
• 影响因子: 2.1
• 作者: Jackson, Tobias D.;Shenkin, Alexander F.;Malhi, Yadvinder
• 通讯作者: Malhi, Yadvinder