Leaf functional traits predict cloud forest tree seedling survival along an elevation gradient
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RESEARCH PAPER
Leaf functional traits predict cloud forest tree seedling survival along an elevation gradient Tarin Toledo-Aceves 1
&
María de los Ángeles García-Hernández 1 & Horacio Paz 2
Received: 8 July 2019 / Accepted: 14 November 2019 # INRA and Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature 2019
Abstract & Key message Cloud forest tree seedlings of higher leaf mass to area ratio and leaf dry matter content displayed higher survival along an elevation gradient in the forest understorey. Phenotypic plasticity in leaf functional traits was not related to seedling survival. & Context Understanding the relationship between seedling survival and phenotypic plasticity of leaf functional traits is of great importance for predicting tree species responses to climate change. & Aims We analysed whether phenotypic plasticity and mean values of leaf functional traits could serve as predictors of cloud forest tree seedling survival along an elevation gradient. & Methods We measured survival, leaf mass area (LMA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) in planted tree seedlings of 13 shade-tolerant tropical cloud forest species in nine forest understorey sites along an elevation gradient in southern Mexico. Phenotypic plasticity in LMA and LDMC was calculated based on inter-individual phenotypic variation to different elevations. & Results Intraspecific differences in LMA and LDMC occurred with elevation. Across the elevation range, seedlings with higher mean LMA and LDMC had higher survival. Plasticity in leaf traits was small and was not related to survival. & Conclusion Our results support that mean LMA, and to a lesser extent mean LDMC, could be good predictors of cloud forest tree seedling survival along elevation gradients. The small leaf trait plasticity found does not affect the survival of seedlings in the forest understorey along the elevation gradient. Keywords Climate change . Leaf dry matter content . Leaf mass area . Phenotypic plasticity . Regeneration strategy . Shade tolerance . Temperature
1 Introduction Handling Editor: Erwin Dreyer Contribution of the co-authors TTA conceived and designed the experiment; MAGH conducted the fieldwork and performed statistical analyses; and TTA, MAGH and HP wrote the manuscript. * Tarin Toledo-Aceves [email protected] 1
Red de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Carretera Antigua a Coatepec No. 351, El Haya, 91070 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
2
Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, Col. Ex Hacienda de San José de la Huerta, 58190 Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
The ability of tree species to cope with rapid climate change is of major concern in terms of biodiversity loss. In response to climate change, individuals have the possibility to either tolerate or acclimate to the environmental variation via phenotypic plasticity (Gratani 2014; Liu et al. 2016). However, the relative importance of these two responses has rarely been addressed in tropical for
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