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Chamaecyparis obtusa var. formosana and Chamaecyparis formosensis are congener gymnosperm tree species native to Taiwan cloud forests; occupying different niches there. While the seedlings of C. formosensis occur predominantly under bright conditions in large forest gaps, seedlings of C. obtusa var. formosana are mainly found below the canopy of mature forests or in small gaps. It is well known that congener species occupying different niches typically differ in several ecophysiological and morphological traits, but the differences in growth dynamics of such species are still totally unclear, as the diurnal growth dynamics of gymnosperm leaves have not been investigated before. Modern methods of digital image sequence processing were used in this study to analyse the leaf growth dynamics of the two species. We found that both species show similar base-tip gradients and pronounced diurnal growth rhythms with maxima in the evening. Differences between the two species concerning their growth dynamics correlated closely with their ecological amplitudes and abundances. Chamaecyparis obtusa var. formosana grew faster than C. formosensis in low light intensity, typical for closed-canopy situations, and reacted quickly by increasing or decreasing growth rate when light intensity changed within a range typically found below small canopy gaps. In contrast to this, C. formosensis grew better in light intensities typical for open vegetation situations, but reacted slower towards changes of light intensity. Based on those results, the hypothesis can be developed that fluctuations of leaf growth dynamics reflect heterogeneities of the light environment within the niche occupied by a given species.

have changed, by synthesizing 20 time series ranging from 5 to 51 years of data collected from forest and grassland dominated watersheds across Europe, North America, and East Asia and across four climate types (tropical, temperate, Mediterranean, and boreal) using the International Long-Term Ecological Research Network. We hypothesized that sites with greater atmospheric N deposition have greater stream N export rates, but that climate has taken a stronger role as atmospheric deposition declines in many regions of the globe. We found declining trends in bulk ammonium and nitrate deposition, especially

Yellow cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa (Siebold & Zucc.) Endl. var. formosana (Hayata) Rehder) is the predominant tree species of Taiwan's nutrient-poor, mountain fog forests. Little is known about the potential contribution of solute uptake from fog to the overall nutrition of these trees. Shoots of yellow cypress seedlings were misted with artificial fog containing the tracer rubidium (Rb) in laboratory and field experiments to determine if there is solute uptake from the fog. After misting shoots for six weeks, substantial amounts of tracer were detected in unexposed roots by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy bulk analysis. Possible routes of entry were examined by element imaging with energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Direct uptake of the tracer into leaves across the cuticle and epidermis was small, excluding this as the major uptake path. Accumulations of Rb were found on leaf surfaces along the edges of the leaves. The almost daily changes in fog coverage and air humidity may enhance the accumulation of fog solutes at leaf edges. Accumulation of Rb was also found in narrow clefts between opposite leaves and between the outermost and underlying alternating stacked leaves. The clefts provide a direct passage from the leaf surface to the space beneath the imbricate leaves and the underlying alternate leaves, possibly facilitating solute uptake from fog, which in turn may contribute to the nutrition of yellow cypress.

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