Conifers are rare in densely-canopied tropical forests, with successful species frequently exhibiting a flattened leaf morphology (Image © Kevin Griffin). In Schmiege et al.'s study “Respiratory temperature responses of tropical conifers differ with leaf morphology” (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13814), the authors find that flat-leaved conifer species have significantly lower respiration than needle-leaved species, suggesting that flat leaves may be less energetically costly to maintain than needle-like leaves. Ultimately, these findings suggest that shade tolerance may play an important role in the persistence of flat-leaved conifers in tropical forests, and the exclusion of needle-leaved conifers from tropical forests.

中文翻译：

---

封面图片和问题信息

针叶树在茂密的热带森林中很少见，成功的物种经常表现出扁平的叶子形态（图片 © Kevin Griffin）。在 Schmiege等人的研究“热带针叶树的呼吸温度响应随叶片形态而异”(https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13814) 中，作者发现平叶针叶树物种的呼吸作用明显低于针叶物种，这表明扁平叶的维护成本可能低于针状叶。最终，这些发现表明，耐荫性可能在热带森林中平叶针叶树的持久性以及将针叶针叶树排除在热带森林中方面发挥重要作用。