Vertical gradients in leaf trait diversity in a New Zealand forest |
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Authors: | Sam Beaumont K C Burns |
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Institution: | (1) School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand |
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Abstract: | Leaves come in a remarkable diversity of sizes and shapes. However, spatial patterns in leaf trait diversity are rarely investigated
and poorly resolved. We used a hierarchical approach to evaluate vertical variability in leaf morphology (i.e., leaf trait
diversity) in 16 common tree and shrub species inhabiting a New Zealand forest. Height-related heterogeneity in leaf area,
specific leaf area, circularity and length to width ratio was analyzed at three scales: (1) among leaves within plants, (2)
among plants within species and (3) among species within functional groups (i.e., trees vs. shrubs). Results were scale dependent.
Among-leaf morphological diversity was unrelated to plant height. Among-individual morphological diversity increased with
the average height of each species, indicating that taller plant species express a greater range of leaf traits than shorter
species. Among-species morphological diversity was higher in shrubs than in trees. We hypothesize that scale-dependent patterns
in leaf trait diversity result from scale-dependent adaptations to forest environmental conditions. As trees grow from the
forest floor into the canopy, they are exposed to a range of environmental conditions, which may select for a range of leaf
traits through ontogeny. Conversely, shrubs never reach the forest canopy and may instead be differentially adapted to suites
of environmental conditions associated with different stages of forest recovery from tree-fall disturbances. Overall results
indicate that vertical patterns in leaf trait diversity exist. However, their strength and directionality are strongly scale-dependent,
suggesting that different processes govern leaf shape diversity at different levels of ecological organization. |
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Keywords: | Diversity Functional group Leaf trait Morphology New Zealand Scale Specific leaf area |
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