Trait-Mediated Variation in Seedling Performance in Costa Rican Successional Forests: Comparing Above-Ground, Below-Ground, and Allocation-Based Traits
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Methods
2.1. Study Site
2.2. Seedling Monitoring: Mortality and Growth Data
2.2.1. Mortality Data
2.2.2. Growth Data
2.3. Above-Ground, Below-Ground, and Allocation Trait Data
2.4. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Variation in Above-Ground, Below-Ground, and Allocation Traits among Species and within Species across Sites
3.2. Variation in Multivariate Trait Strategies across Sites
3.3. Relationships of Traits with Seedling Growth and Mortality
4. Discussions
4.1. Above-Ground, Below-Ground, and Allocation Traits within Species Variation across Sites
4.2. Differences in Multivariate Trait Strategies between Sites
4.3. Trait-Performance Relationships and Site-Specific Variability in Seedling Growth and Mortality
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Abbreviation | Trait | Site by Species (F-Statistic, p-Value) | % Species with Significant Differences between Pairs of Sites |
---|---|---|---|
Aboveground traits | |||
LDMC | Leaf dry matter content (g/g) | 0.80, 0.74 | - |
SLA | Specific leaf area (cm2/g) | 1.06, 0.39 | - |
Leaf N% | Nitrogen concentration in leaves (%) | 3.33, <0.01 | SEC1-SEC2: 20% |
SEC1-MT: 17% | |||
SEC2-MT: 0% | |||
Leaf C% | Carbon concentration in leaves (%) | 1.25, 0.20 | - |
Thickness | Thickness (mm) | 2.61, <0.01 | SEC1-SEC2: 13% |
SEC1-MT: 17% | |||
SEC2-MT: 0% | |||
Toughness | Toughness (N) | 3.76, <0.01 | SEC1-SEC2: 36% |
SEC1-MT: 64% | |||
SEC2-MT: 9% | |||
Stem WSG | Specific gravity of stem wood (g/cm−3) | 0.91, 0.59 | - |
Belowground traits | |||
SRL | Specific Root length (cm/mg−1) | 1.13, 0.32 | - |
FRD | Fine Root Diameter (mm) | 3.57, <0.01 | SEC1-SEC2: 13% |
SEC1-MT: 17% | |||
SEC2-MT: 17% | |||
RTD | Root tissue density (mg/cm−3) | 3.52, <0.01 | SEC1-SEC2: 22% |
SEC1-MT: 27% | |||
SEC2-MT: 18% | |||
Root N% | Nitrogen concentration in fine roots (%) | 1.33, 0.15 | - |
Root C% | Carbon concentration in fine roots (%) | 1.98, 0.01 | SEC1-SEC2: 7% |
SEC1-MT: 18% | |||
SEC2-MT: 9% | |||
Biomass allocation traits | |||
LMF | Leaf mass fraction (g/g) | 2.80, <0.01 | SEC1-SEC2: 40% |
SEC1-MT: 33% | |||
SEC2-MT: 18% | |||
SMF | Stem mass fraction (g/g) | 4.64, <0.01 | SEC1-SEC2: 20% |
SEC1-MT: 42% | |||
SEC2-MT: 58% | |||
RMF | Root mass fraction (g/g) | 2.03, <0.01 | SEC1-SEC2: 7% |
SEC1-MT: 25% | |||
SEC2-MT: 8% |
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Huanca-Nunez, N.; Chazdon, R.L.; Russo, S.E. Trait-Mediated Variation in Seedling Performance in Costa Rican Successional Forests: Comparing Above-Ground, Below-Ground, and Allocation-Based Traits. Plants 2024, 13, 2378. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13172378
Huanca-Nunez N, Chazdon RL, Russo SE. Trait-Mediated Variation in Seedling Performance in Costa Rican Successional Forests: Comparing Above-Ground, Below-Ground, and Allocation-Based Traits. Plants. 2024; 13(17):2378. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13172378
Chicago/Turabian StyleHuanca-Nunez, Nohemi, Robin L. Chazdon, and Sabrina E. Russo. 2024. "Trait-Mediated Variation in Seedling Performance in Costa Rican Successional Forests: Comparing Above-Ground, Below-Ground, and Allocation-Based Traits" Plants 13, no. 17: 2378. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13172378