@article{fdi:010057519,
  title = {{C}orrelations between leaf toughness and phenolics among species in contrasting environments of {A}ustralia and {N}ew {C}aledonia},
  author = {{R}ead, {J}. and {S}anson, {G}.{D}. and {C}aldwell, {E}. and {C}lissold, {F}. {J}. and {C}hatain, {A}. and {P}eeters, {P}. and {L}amont, {B}. {B}. and {G}arine-{W}ichatitsky, {M}. de and {J}affr{\'e}, {T}anguy and {K}err, {S}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{P}lants are likely to invest in multiple defences, given the variety of sources of biotic and abiotic damage to which they are exposed. {H}owever, little is known about syndromes of defence across plant species and how these differ in contrasting environments. {H}ere an investigation is made into the association between carbon-based chemical and mechanical defences, predicting that species that invest heavily in mechanical defence of leaves will invest less in chemical defence. {A} combination of published and unpublished data is used to test whether species with tougher leaves have lower concentrations of phenolics, using 125 species from four regions of {A}ustralia and the {P}acific island of {N}ew {C}aledonia, in evergreen vegetation ranging from temperate shrubland and woodland to tropical shrubland and rainforest. {F}oliar toughness was measured as work-to-shear and specific work-to-shear (work-to-shear per unit leaf thickness). {P}henolics were measured as 'total phenolics' and by protein precipitation (an estimate of tannin activity) per leaf dry mass. {C}ontrary to prediction, phenolic concentrations were not negatively correlated with either measure of leaf toughness when examined across all species, within regions or within any plant community. {I}nstead, measures of toughness (particularly work-to-shear) and phenolics were often positively correlated in shrubland and rainforest (but not dry forest) in {N}ew {C}aledonia, with a similar trend suggested for shrubland in south-western {A}ustralia. {T}he common feature of these sites was low concentrations of soil nutrients, with evidence of {P} limitation. {P}ositive correlations between toughness and phenolics in vegetation on infertile soils suggest that additive investment in carbon-based mechanical and chemical defences is advantageous and cost-effective in these nutrient-deficient environments where carbohydrate may be in surplus.},
  keywords = {{A}ntiherbivore defence ; leaf toughness ; mechanical defence ; chemical ; defence ; phenolics ; trade-offs},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{A}nnals of {B}otany},
  volume = {103},
  numero = {5},
  pages = {757--767},
  ISSN = {0305-7364},
  year = {2009},
  DOI = {10.1093/aob/mcn246},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010057519},
}