9602921 Boerner This Americas Program award will fund travel and related expenses for a dissertation research project by Kelly L. Decker, Ohio State University, under the direction of Dr. Ralph Boerner, and in collaboration with Dr. Maria F. Hevia Hott, University of Concepcion, Chillan, Chile. They will investigate various traits associated with contrasting leaf habits (deciduous vs. evergreen) in temperate southern hemisphere forests. Specifically, the study will address the adaptive advantage of an increased life span by focusing on ecophysiological traits and relative competitive ability of evergreen and deciduous species of Nothofagus (southern beech). Leaf lifespan is an important ecological issue at present. The Nothofagus mixed deciduous forest system of central Chile provides an excellent opportunity to study the relative adaptive advantage of differing leaf lifespans because of the presence of pure Nothofagus canopies containing both deciduous and evergreen species. Thus, this forest system offers an interesting model for understanding the evolution and potential adaptive significance of contrasting leaf traits. ***
