Trade-offs and spatial variation of functional traits of tree species in a subtropical forest in southern Brazil

Abstract

Plant functional traits have been recognized as important factors related to the ecological strategies of species in forest ecosystems. We examined the relationships between functional traits and both tree species performance and environmental conditions in a subtropical forest in Brazil. Over four years (2008-2012), we investigated how demographic rates were related to functional traits (wood density, leaf area and tree height) of 20 species sampled within 50 plots of 10 × 20 m, which had previously evaluated as to environmental conditions. Non-metric multidimensional scaling was used to order the species by their functional traits. The demographic rates were fit a posteriori to the ordination, with significant rates (p < 0.05) plotted as vectors. The relationships between environmental conditions and the community-weighted means (CWMs) of trait values were verified using redundancy analysis. CWM wood density was positively correlated with soil pH. CWM leaf area and CWM maximum tree height were both negatively correlated with altitude and positively correlated with soil magnesium (Mg) content. The taller species with lower wood density, which occupied the forest canopy, had a greater diameter increment and lower recruitment than did the shortest species with higher wood density. The shorter species with higher wood density, which occupied the understory, had greater recruitment and a greater increase in abundance than did the taller/lower-wood-density species. Our study (i) revealed changes in the forest related to the light environment, with an increase in the relative participation of shade-tolerant species with higher wood densities, and (ii) detected small-scale spatial variation in community traits as a response to variations in soil chemical properties and topography.

Estruturação espacial de traços funcionais de espécies arbóreas em função da distância da borda em Floresta Alto-Montana no sul do Brasil

“…A dureza da madeira apresenta relação com a velocidade de crescimento das espécies e resistência mecânica a danos físicos (CHAVE et al, 2009;MISSIO et al, 2016). Espécies com madeira mais macia apresentam, usualmente, crescimento mais rápido, se desenvolvem em locais com a maior disponibilidade de recursos (e.g.…”

Tree growth traits and social status affect the wood density of pioneer species in secondary subtropical forest

“…Thus, all else being equal, for pioneer species their WD decreases as RGR increases because lower support costs are invested toward the stem and more to the crown to enhance light interception and growth rate (King et al., ). Nonetheless, another possibility exists, by which a lower WD may lead to an increase in the relative proportion of stem conduit to meet water and nutrients required by the processes of photosynthesis, transpiration, and growth (Chave et al., ; Missio et al., ). The pioneer species—due to their initial fast growth—inherently have greater potential for variation in WD.…”

Functional Attributes as Ecological Predictors During Secondary Succession in a Seasonal Deciduous Forest in Southern Brazil

“…When analyzing the functional attributes with the environmental variables, there was a close relationship with the local conditions of the relief and soil variables. Studies such as those by Missio et al (2016), Sousa et al (2017) and Soboleski et al (2017) have already portrayed the infl uence of environmental conditions on the coexistence of species and their functional attributes in forests in the southern region. The occurrence of more conservative species with larger leaves in higher places of the forest stretch directly refl ects the relationship of this functional attribute as an advantage in absorbing light, in contrast to species which have leaves with a smaller specifi c leaf area that invest in fast growth to capture light and less in leaf construction (Cornelissen et al, 2003).…”