Ecological significance of plant biomass turnover

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The distribution of plant species is largely determined by their ability to cope with the environmental conditions in different habitats, such as the availability of nutrients, water and light. A plant's ability to acquire these resources is in this respect an important and well-studied trait. Equally important, but less studied, is the plant's ability to avoid losses of the once acquired resources, i.e., its turnover rate. Resource acquisition is closely related to growth rate, resource loss with life spans of leaves and roots. There is generally a reverse relationship between growth rate and organ life span: fast-growing plants usually produce short-lived leaves and roots. This projects concerns basic questions about ecological and evolutionary mechanisms with respect to turnover, but it is also potentially important for understanding the consequences of changes in land use and climate.