Pantropical moist forests are converging towards a middle leaf longevity

Leaf longevity is a fundamental plant trait that largely explains ecosystem functional dynamics in global pantropical moist forests. However, the signs, magnitudes, and mechanisms of the spatiotemporal variations in leaf longevity with ongoing climate change are still lacking. Using both ground measurements and gridded leaf age-dependent leaf area index data, we map the continental-scale variability of annual mean leaf longevity across pantropical moist forests over 2001–2023. We find a biome-dependent and converging trend in leaf longevity under climate change. In Amazon and tropical Asia with long leaf longevity (> ~1.8 years), leaf longevity decreases due to rising temperature and intensified atmospheric dryness. In contrast, an increasing trend is observed in Congo and subtropical Asia where forests have short leaf longevity (