How do leaf functional traits influence above-ground tree carbon in tropical hill forests of Bangladesh?
Plant leaf functional traits significantly influence carbon cycling in tropical forests, though the relationships between these traits and carbon stocks are complex. The present study investigates the role of leaf functional traits, i.e., specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), lea...
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Elsevier
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25000603 |
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| author | Ariful Khan Md Rezaul Karim Mohammed A.S. Arfin-Khan Md. Shamim Reza Saimun Fahmida Sultana Sharif A. Mukul |
| author_facet | Ariful Khan Md Rezaul Karim Mohammed A.S. Arfin-Khan Md. Shamim Reza Saimun Fahmida Sultana Sharif A. Mukul |
| author_sort | Ariful Khan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Plant leaf functional traits significantly influence carbon cycling in tropical forests, though the relationships between these traits and carbon stocks are complex. The present study investigates the role of leaf functional traits, i.e., specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf width, and leaf thickness—on above-ground tree carbon (AGTC) stocks in two forest protected areas (PA) in northeast Bangladesh: Khadimnagar National Park (KNP) and Rema Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary (RKWS). Data were collected from 110 plots, comprising 60 in RKWS and 50 in KNP. We observed that the community-weighted mean (CWM) leaf trait values were predominantly higher in the southwestern regions of KNP, while in RKWS, they were primarily distributed in the northern or southern regions. The results revealed that, at the landscape level, CWM-leaf width (R2 = 0.10, P < 0.01) had a significant effect on AGTC. In site-specific analyses, CWM-leaf thickness (R2 = 0.25), CWM-leaf width (R2 = 0.10), and CWM-SLA (R2 = 0.17) had significant (p < 0.05) negative effects on AGTC in KNP. However, in RKWS, only CWM-leaf width (R2 = 0.015, P < 0.01) significantly affected AGTC, while other CWM-leaf traits showed no significant impact. Additionally, the effects of two common environmental variables—solar radiation and mean annual temperature (MAT)—were significant (p < 0.05) predictors of AGTC at the landscape level but not at the site level. The total carbon stock in RKWS was 1.98 % higher than in KNP per hectare, with species-specific carbon content varying across the landscape. Notably, Chukrasia tabularis showed the highest carbon content (31.57 t ha−1). These findings highlight significant spatial variability in leaf functional traits and AGTC distribution across the two forests. This study enhances our understanding of how leaf functional traits influence AGTC stocks, underscoring the importance of localized investigations for global climate change mitigation efforts and supporting sustainable forest management in Bangladesh. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-26daa93f80694ccc817374bef71c9ad4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1470-160X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Ecological Indicators |
| spelling | doaj-art-26daa93f80694ccc817374bef71c9ad42025-01-29T05:00:21ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2025-02-01171113131How do leaf functional traits influence above-ground tree carbon in tropical hill forests of Bangladesh?Ariful Khan0Md Rezaul Karim1Mohammed A.S. Arfin-Khan2Md. Shamim Reza Saimun3Fahmida Sultana4Sharif A. Mukul5Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, Bangladesh; Department of Environmental Science and Management, North South University, Dhaka 1229, BangladeshDepartment of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, Bangladesh; Institute of Forestry and Conservation, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, University of Toronto, 33 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3B3, CanadaDepartment of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, Bangladesh; Corresponding author.Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, BangladeshDepartment of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, Bangladesh; Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Singleton Park Campus, SA2 8PP Wales, UKDepartment of Environment and Development Studies, United International University, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh; Tropical Forests and People Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland 4556, Australia; Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA; Corresponding author at: Department of Environment and Development Studies, United International University, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh.Plant leaf functional traits significantly influence carbon cycling in tropical forests, though the relationships between these traits and carbon stocks are complex. The present study investigates the role of leaf functional traits, i.e., specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf width, and leaf thickness—on above-ground tree carbon (AGTC) stocks in two forest protected areas (PA) in northeast Bangladesh: Khadimnagar National Park (KNP) and Rema Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary (RKWS). Data were collected from 110 plots, comprising 60 in RKWS and 50 in KNP. We observed that the community-weighted mean (CWM) leaf trait values were predominantly higher in the southwestern regions of KNP, while in RKWS, they were primarily distributed in the northern or southern regions. The results revealed that, at the landscape level, CWM-leaf width (R2 = 0.10, P < 0.01) had a significant effect on AGTC. In site-specific analyses, CWM-leaf thickness (R2 = 0.25), CWM-leaf width (R2 = 0.10), and CWM-SLA (R2 = 0.17) had significant (p < 0.05) negative effects on AGTC in KNP. However, in RKWS, only CWM-leaf width (R2 = 0.015, P < 0.01) significantly affected AGTC, while other CWM-leaf traits showed no significant impact. Additionally, the effects of two common environmental variables—solar radiation and mean annual temperature (MAT)—were significant (p < 0.05) predictors of AGTC at the landscape level but not at the site level. The total carbon stock in RKWS was 1.98 % higher than in KNP per hectare, with species-specific carbon content varying across the landscape. Notably, Chukrasia tabularis showed the highest carbon content (31.57 t ha−1). These findings highlight significant spatial variability in leaf functional traits and AGTC distribution across the two forests. This study enhances our understanding of how leaf functional traits influence AGTC stocks, underscoring the importance of localized investigations for global climate change mitigation efforts and supporting sustainable forest management in Bangladesh.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25000603Carbon dynamicsForest managementFunctional traitsTree carbonAboveground biomassTropical forest |
| spellingShingle | Ariful Khan Md Rezaul Karim Mohammed A.S. Arfin-Khan Md. Shamim Reza Saimun Fahmida Sultana Sharif A. Mukul How do leaf functional traits influence above-ground tree carbon in tropical hill forests of Bangladesh? Ecological Indicators Carbon dynamics Forest management Functional traits Tree carbon Aboveground biomass Tropical forest |
| title | How do leaf functional traits influence above-ground tree carbon in tropical hill forests of Bangladesh? |
| title_full | How do leaf functional traits influence above-ground tree carbon in tropical hill forests of Bangladesh? |
| title_fullStr | How do leaf functional traits influence above-ground tree carbon in tropical hill forests of Bangladesh? |
| title_full_unstemmed | How do leaf functional traits influence above-ground tree carbon in tropical hill forests of Bangladesh? |
| title_short | How do leaf functional traits influence above-ground tree carbon in tropical hill forests of Bangladesh? |
| title_sort | how do leaf functional traits influence above ground tree carbon in tropical hill forests of bangladesh |
| topic | Carbon dynamics Forest management Functional traits Tree carbon Aboveground biomass Tropical forest |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25000603 |
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