Size dependent associations between tree diameter growth rates and functional traits in an Asian tropical seasonal rainforest
Yu-Mei Yan
A C , Ze-Xin Fan A B E , Pei-Li Fu A B , Hui Chen A D and Lu-Xiang Lin A D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China.
B Centre of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna, 666303, China.
C University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
D Xishuangbanna Station for Tropical Rain Forest Ecosystem Studies, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China.
E Corresponding author. Email: fanzexin@xtbg.org.cn
Functional Plant Biology 48(2) 231-240 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP20226
Submitted: 30 July 2020 Accepted: 20 September 2020 Published: 30 October 2020
Abstract
Many studies focus on the relationships between plant functional traits and tree growth performances. However, little is known about the ontogenetic shifts of the relationships between functional traits and tree growth. This study examined associations between stem and leaf functional traits and growth rates and their ontogenetic shifts across 20 tropical tree species in a tropical seasonal rainforest in Xishuangbanna, south-west China. For each species, physiological active branches of individual trees belonged to three size classes (i.e. small, diameter at breast height (DBH) 5–10 cm; middle, DBH 10–20 cm; big, DBH >20 cm) were sampled respectively. We measured 18 morphological and structural traits, which characterised plant hydraulic properties or leaf economic spectrum. Associations between diameter growth rates and functional traits were analysed across three size classes. Our results revealed that diameter growth rates of big-sized trees were mainly related to traits related to plant hydraulic efficiency (i.e. theoretical hydraulic conductivity (Ktheo) and leaf vein density (Dvein)), which suggests that the growth of large trees is limited mainly by their xylem water transport capacity. For middle-sized trees, growth rates were significantly related to traits representing leaf economic spectrum (i.e. specific leaf area (SLA), individual leaf mass (ILM), palisade thickness (PT) and spongy thickness (SP)). Diameter growth rates of small-sized trees were not correlated with hydraulic or leaf economic traits. Thus, the associations between tree growth rates and functional traits are size dependent. Our results suggest ontogenetic shift of functional traits which could potential contribute to different growth response to climate change.
Keywords: functional trait, growth rate, hydraulic conductivity, leaf economic spectrum, palisade thickness, size dependent, specific leaf area, stomatal size, theoretical hydraulic conductivity, tree growth, tropical rainforest, vessel density.
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