Why we need PalmHydraulics - Global climate is largely dependent on tropical forest functioning as the carbon that they store is equivalent to more than half of total atmospheric carbon. In the largest remnant of tropical forest, the Amazon, 50% of carbon is stored by only 227 hyperdominant species (<2% of the total tree species richness). Six of the top ten hyperdominant species are palms but the role of palms as ecosystem engineers has been neglected until now. Plant species responses and effects to climate are mediated by plant hydraulics. Palm hydraulics are virtually unknown as palms are understudied relative to typical trees. This is especially problematic because palms, as monocots, show significant differences from other trees in their structure with important consequences for biomass allocation, forest structure and demography. Palms also deliver critical provisioning services to humankind (for example, coconuts, dates and açais are palms) and an understanding of their functional constraints may help to secure palm resources for future generations.
Aims - The overall aim of PalmHydraulics was to understand how palm unique hydraulic structure is related with their colonization of warmer and drier biomes, abundance variation and hydraulic functioning.
From Organisms to Biomes
Drought tolerance in palmsAre palms more vulnerable to drought-induced embolism than other plants?
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Global palm abundanceAre palms equallly abundant in all tropical forests?
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Functional traits and biome affiliation in palm familyIs there is a particular phenotype associated to each biome palms colonize?
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