Rapid plant functional trait responses to warming, flooding, and herbivory in high-latitude coastal wetlands.

Understanding the responses of functional trait variation for grassland plants to grazing disturbance is highly helpful to clarify the community assembly mechanism, functional diversity maintenance, plant adaptation and their strategies. We investigated plant functional traits (plant height, root length, leaf area, root area, leaf dry matter content, shoot dry matter content, root dry matter content, specific leaf area, specific root length and root/ shoot ratio) and the responses of their variation characteristics to grazing disturbance in enclosure and grazing grasslands in Horqin Sandy Land. The results showed that the interspecific variation of functional trait was obviously higher than the intraspecific variation in degraded grassland. The relative contribution of interspecific variation to the overall trait variation ranged from 70.2% to 95.1%, while that of intraspecific variation only contributed 4.9% to 29.8%. However, that did not imply the intraspecific variation could be ignored in the community assembly. The interspecific variation in grazing grassland was lower than that in enclosed grassland, while the intraspecific variation increased but the interspecific variation decreased in grazing grassland. Grazing resulted in the decrease of leaf area and leaf dry matter content but the increase of specific root length for pastoral-resistant grasses. However, pastoral-tolerant forbs would improve their dominance in the community by decreasing specific root length and increa-sing leaf area and leaf dry matter content. The traits sensitive to grazing were leaf area, leaf dry matter content, specific root length, and specific leaf area. Leaf traits and root traits were significantly positively correlated within and with each other. Grazing would enhance the synergy of root traits while reduce the synergy of leaf traits. That meant grazing could change the trade-off strategy of functional traits in individual and population levels, and thus affect vegetation structure and function in community level.

Sinharaja tropical rainforest is one of the most important ecosystems in the country and records a high number of endemic plant species. The objective of the study was to identify the variations in leaf morphological characteristics of canopy and sub canopy trees with the changes in topography. For the study six endemic species were selected with three species each representing the canopy and sub canopy groups. The leaves of fully matured trees were studied from two topographic positions representing the ridge and valley. Morphological characteristics compared include both measured parameters (leaf length, width, leaf area, fresh weight and dry weight) and derived parameters (moisture content, specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC)). When the cumulative mean values of the leaves for the two topographic locations are compared, the valley has higher leaf length, width, area, fresh weight, dry weight and SLA values. The LDMC and moisture content mean values are comparatively similar in both ridge and valley. However when individual species are compared between the two locations, some show the opposite trend to that of the mean values. Among the canopy trees, Anisophyllea cinnamomoides shows a significant difference (p<0.05) between ridge and valley in all parameters except SLA. It also shows the highest LDMC percentage among all six species at 56.72 percent in the ridge. Bhesa ceylanica shows a significant variation in all traits barring SLA and leaf length. B. ceylanica also has the highest mean values for length, width, area, fresh weight and dry weight among the six species. Palaquium petiolare shows significant variation between in only three parameters which are length, moisture content and LDMC. The three sub canopy species show lower differences in traits between the two locations. Among them Cullenia ceylanica shows a significant difference in both fresh and dry weight, moisture content and SLA. Garcinia echinocarpa shows a significant difference only among leaf length and SLA, with its ridge SLA mean of 5.6 mm2mg-1, being highest among all 6 species. Chaeocarpus castanocarpus shows the most difference among sub-canopy species with only length and width not showing a significant difference

Climate change is one of the main challenges facing humanity in the coming century. To understand the impact of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, we urgently require a better understanding of plant responses to climate change. To address this knowledge gap we established a full-factorial warming experiment using open-top chambers (OTCs) inside a long-term fire-manipulation experiment in Afromontane fire-climax grasslands. Fire is an essential ecosystem driver in these grasslands, but has rarely been included in experimental climate change research. To assess growth responses to elevated temperatures and fire frequency, we measured four functional traits: vegetative height, leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), and leaf dry matter content (LDMC). Grasses responded to fire exclusion with increased height, and lower LA, SLA, and LDMC. Grasses responded to warming with lower height and LA, and higher LDMC, suggesting that plant growth was negatively affected by warming. This response was mostly attributed to intra-specific trait variability, highlighting an important role for trait plasticity in community-level processes to mediate the response of montane grassland communities to elevated temperatures and associated drought effects. These results are a first step towards establishing a more mechanistic basis for understanding future climatic changes in Afromontane grasslands.

Environmental changes are expected to shift the distribution of functional trait values in plant communities through a combination of species turnover and intraspecific variation. The strength of these shifts may depend on the availability of individuals with trait values adapted to new environmental conditions, represented by the functional diversity (FD) of existing community residents or dispersal from the regional species pool. We conducted a 3-year nutrient- and seed-addition experiment in old-field plant communities to examine the contributions of species turnover and intraspecific variation to community trait shifts, focusing on four key plant functional traits: vegetative height, leaf area, specific leaf area (SLA), and leaf dry matter content (LDMC). We further examined the influence of initial FD and seed availability on the strength of these shifts. Community mean height, leaf area, and SLA increased in response to fertilization, and these shifts were driven almost entirely by intraspecific variation. The strength of intraspecific shifts in height and leaf area was positively related to initial intraspecific FD in these traits. Intraspecific trait responses to fertilization varied among species, with species of short stature displaying stronger shifts in SLA and LDMC but weaker shifts in leaf area. Trait shifts due to species turnover were generally weak and opposed intraspecific responses. Seed addition altered community taxonomic composition but had little effect on community trait shifts. These results highlight the importance of intraspecific variation for short-term community functional responses and demonstrate that the strength of these responses may be mediated by community FD.

Individual persistence under changing climate conditions can be aided by phenotypic plasticity. Needle morphology reflects pine species’ adaptation to their habitats, and adaptive plasticity is beneficial to pine survival. As two closely related pines, Pinusmassoniana Lamb. and Pinus hwangshanensis W. Y. Hsia sympatrically occur in the subtropical region of China, forming hilly forests (i.e., subtropical evergreen needleleaf forests) at lower elevations and montane forests (i.e., temperate evergreen needleleaf forests) at medium and high elevations. However, little is known about the intraspecific phenotypic variation patterns of the two pine species and their relationship with environmental factors. Here, we investigated the interspecific and intraspecific variation patterns of needle traits in the two sympatric pine species, focusing on six traits—i.e., leaf length, leaf thickness, leaf width, leaf area, specific leaf area, and leaf dry matter content—as well as the relationship between needle traits and environmental factors. We found significant phenotypic trait differences among populations of each species. Except for leaf length and leaf width, variation within species was greater than variation between species in the needle traits measured. Even more intriguingly, the leaf size traits (i.e., length, width, thickness) were more conservative than the leaf economic traits (i.e., specific leaf area and leaf dry matter content). In other words, the intraspecific variability of the former was weaker than that of the latter. The nature of P. massoniana needle traits was mainly shaped by latitude, while the needle traits of P. hwangshanensis were significantly affected by annual precipitation. Therefore, phenotypic plasticity may be an essential mechanism for the two pine species to better cope with changing external conditions. The intraspecific variation patterns found in the two pine species and the relationships between traits and environmental factors can provide substantial scientific data for large-scale exploration of intraspecific phenotypic variation in pine species and their breeding practice.

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 基于树形结构的木棉叶功能性状差异性研究 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202006031431 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金项目（31860206） Variation in leaf functional traits of Bombax ceiba Linnaeus communities based on tree structure Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: The National Natural Science Foundation of China (General Program, Key Program, Major Research Plan) 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:叶功能性状不仅反应植物对资源的利用能力，还涉及植物对自身结构和环境的生存适应策略。以不同生长阶段的木棉为研究对象，于2019年12月实地测量树高、冠幅等5个主要树形因子和采样测定叶面积、比叶面积、叶干物质含量、叶片含水量等14个叶功能性状，分析其在不同生长阶段的变化规律和相互关系，探讨叶功能性状对树形结构的响应。结果表明：不同生长阶段的木棉叶功能性状之间存在差异（P<0.05），且表现出一定的相关性（P<0.05，P<0.01）；木棉叶片的面积、长度、宽度、周长、鲜重、饱和重、干重、比叶质量和干物质含量等功能性状是随生长阶段变化的主要指标。影响木棉叶片各性状的树形因子也不相同，其中叶面积主要受到冠幅的影响，叶片鲜重和饱和重主要受到枝下高的影响，叶片干重和相对含水量主要受到树高的影响，比叶面积、叶片含水量和干物质含量主要受到树高、尖削度的影响，比叶质量主要受到胸径、尖削度、树高的影响。随着木棉的生长，叶功能性状表现出受树形结构的影响而具有较强的表型可塑性，有利于其适应内外环境的变化。因此，叶功能性状之间的变化差异和相关组合，反映了不同生长阶段的木棉对树形结构的适应性调整和对资源的利用策略，在一定程度上为探索西双版纳热带雨林区的生态保护和可持续发展提供相关科学依据。 Abstract:The leaf functional traits of plants not only reflect their abilities to use resources, but also represent their adaptation strategies to structural and environmental changes. Therefore, leaf functional traits are critical indicators of biogeochemical coupling in terrestrial ecosystems. In the present study, Bombax ceiba Linnaeus at different growth stages was taken as the main research subject, five main tree shape factors (i.e., height and crown breadth) were measured, and 14 leaf functional traits were quantified, including leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content and leaf water content. We conducted the research in Menglun Town, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Autonomous Prefecture in December 2019. We analyzed the changing patterns and mutual relations at different growth stages, and explored the responses of leaf functional traits to tree structure based on a variety of statistical analysis methods (i.e., One-way analysis of variance and multiple linear stepwise regression analysis). The results showed that leaf functional traits of Bombax ceiba Linnaeus differed in different growth periods (from primary growth stage to tertiary growth stage)(P<0.05), although they were also correlated certainly (P<0.05,P<0.01). Principal component analysis showed that leaf area, leaf length, leaf width, leaf perimeter, leaf fresh weight, leaf saturated weight, leaf dry weight, leaf mass per area, and leaf dry matter content were the main indicators with the increasing growth stage. The pattern of leaf functional traits was affected by various tree factors, which formed the best functional combination through the functional coordination among multiple characters so that plants could well adapt to environmental changes. We found that leaf area was mainly affected by the crown breadth. The leaf fresh weight and leaf saturated weight were mainly affected by the height to crown base. The leaf dry weight and leaf relative water content were mainly affected by the height, specific leaf area, leaf water content and leaf dry matter content were mainly affected by the height and taperingness, and leaf mass per area was mainly affected by the diameter, taperingness and height. With the growth of Bombax ceiba Linnaeus, the leaf functional traits showed strongly phenotypic plasticity influenced by tree structure, which was helpful to adapt to the changes in internal and external environment. Therefore, the variation and related combinations of leaf functional traits at different periods reflect the adaptability of Bombax ceiba Linnaeus to the tree structure and resource utilization strategies, which to a certain extent also provide relevant scientific basis for the exploration of the ecological protection and sustainable development of the tropical rain forest in Xishuangbanna. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

To understand the adaptation mechanism of Machilus pauhoi seedlings to environmental changes, leaf functional traits of M. pauhoi seedlings from nine provenances, as well as relationships between leaf traits and environmental factors were analyzed. The results showed that leaf functional traits of M. pauhoi seedlings from different provenances showed significant intraspecific variations, with the coefficient of variation ranging from 8.8% to 28.2%. Specific leaf area, leaf relative water content, leaf tissue density and leaf thickness differed significantly among seedlings from different provenances, implying high leaf morphological plasticity. Moreover, leaf tissue density was positively correlated to leaf dry matter content and leaf relative water content, but negatively correlated to specific leaf area and leaf thickness. Specific leaf area showed significantly negative correlations with leaf dry matter content and leaf area. The covariation among those traits examined here indicated that M. pauhoi seedlings could adjust and balance the combination of leaf traits in response to environmental changes. Longitude, latitude, >10 ℃ annual accumulated temperature and mean annual temperature contributed largely to the variation of leaf functional traits of M. pauhoi seedlings. Leaf thickness decreased with the increase of longitude, while leaf dry matter content and leaf relative water content increased with the increase of longitude. Leaf tissue density was positively correlated with longitude and mean annual temperature, suggesting that longitude rather than mean annual temperature had greater effects on it. Leaf area was positively correlated with >10 ℃ annual accumulated temperature and longitude, indicating that annual accumulated temperature rather than longitude had greater effects on the variation of leaf area.

The multidimensionality of leaf traits allows plants to have diverse survival strategies to adapt to complex living environments. Whether the anatomical traits of leaves are associated with leaf economic traits and which group of traits are more strongly correlated with soil fertility factors remains unclear. We measured four leaf economic traits, four anatomical traits, and five soil fertility factors of eight coexisting broadleaf species distributed in mixed broadleaved-Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) forests located in Northeast China. Results show a strong interdependence between economic and anatomical traits (p &amp;lt; 0.05). The range of variation between economic and anatomical traits were almost equal, but the causes of variation were different. Specific leaf area was positively correlated with the abaxial epidermis, negatively correlated with the ratio of spongy tissue to leaf thickness (ST/LT), and not correlated with adaxial epidermis. Leaf dry matter content was negatively correlated with the abaxial epidermis and adaxial epidermis, positively correlated with ST/LT. Specific leaf area, palisade tissue, and ST/LT showed stronger correlation with soil fertility factors than other traits. Soil fertility factors dominating trait variation were dependent upon the trait. Our results suggest anatomical traits can be considered in economic trait dimension. The coupled relationship between anatomical and economic traits is potentially a cost-effective adaptation strategy for species to improve efficiency in resource utilization. Our results provide evidence for the complex soil-trait relationship and suggest that future studies should emphasize the role of anatomic traits in predicting soil fertility changes.

BackgroundInter- and intraspecific variation in plant traits play an important role in grassland community assembly under global change scenarios. However, explorations of how these variations contribute to the responses of community traits to nitrogen (N) addition and drought in different grassland types are lacking. We measured the plant height, leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf N content (LNC) and the ratio of leaf carbon (C) to leaf N (C:N) in a typical and a meadow steppe after three years of N addition, drought and their interaction. We determined the community-weighted means (CWMs) of the six traits to quantify the relative contribution of inter- and intraspecific variation to the responses of community traits to N addition and drought in the two steppes.ResultsThe communities in the two steppes responded to N addition and the interaction by increasing the CWM of LNC and decreasing C:N. The community in the meadow steppe responded to drought through increased CWM of LNC and reduced C:N. Significant differences were observed in SLA, LDMC, LNC and C:N between the two steppes under different treatments. The SLA and LNC of the community in the meadow steppe were greater than those of the typical steppe, and the LDMC and C:N exhibited the opposite results. Moreover, variation in community traits in the typical steppe in response to N addition and drought was caused by intraspecific variation. In contrast, the shifts in community traits in the meadow steppe in response to N addition and drought were influenced by both inter- and intraspecific variation.ConclusionsThe results demonstrate that intraspecific variation contributed more to community functional shifts in the typical steppe than in the meadow steppe. Intraspecific variation should be considered to understand better and predict the response of typical steppe communities to global changes. The minor effects of interspecific variation on meadow steppe communities in response to environmental changes also should not be neglected.

Aims Our objective was to better understand the response of plant functional traits of Salsola nitraria to environmental change, such as global climate change and nutrient addition, in desert grassland. Methods We conducted field experiments of moisture and nutrient additions for three years(2009–2011) in a desert grassland of northwest Xinjiang in China. We investigated plant functional traits of S. nitraria and in the fourth year(2012) measured plant height, stem fresh mass, stem dry mass, leaf fresh mass, leaf dry mass, etc. under different treatments of nutrient and water additions. Important findings The combination of fertilizer and moisture had a significant influence on stem fresh mass, leaf fresh mass, leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf saturated water content, and leaf dry matter content(two-way ANOVA, p 0.05), while the effect of either fertilizer or moisture alone was not significant. None of the treatment effects on plant height were significant. The maximum values of plant height, stem fresh weight, stem dry weight, leaf saturated fresh weight, leaf dry weight, leaf area, and specific leaf area appeared in the snow and fertilizer additions(N1 W2), and the second highest was in the control(N0 W0). Maximum leaf saturated water content was observed in the control(N0 W0), and the second highest appeared in the snow and fertilizer additions(N1 W2). The fertilizer addition(N1 W0) could significantly decrease the level of leaf saturated water content. In all of the treatments, leaf dry matter content was higher than that under the control, and among them, the rain addition(N0 W2) significantly increased leaf dry matter content. In the control, there were many significant negative correlations between leaf dry matter content and other functional traits and many significant positive correlations between different functional traits. After the fertilizer and/or moisture addition, the correlation coefficient was reduced. In desert grassland of the Junggar Basin, the different performance of S. nitraria under different treatments was the result of plant adaptations to environmental changes.

IntroductionDespite their biogeographical relevance, the trait space exploited by endemic plants of Mediterranean forests remains largely unknown. Understanding their functional divergence from widespread congeners is key to explaining their restricted distribution, ecology, and resource-use strategies.MethodsHere, we analyzed interspecific variability in leaf economic traits capturing plant strategies of resource-use such as leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf mass per area (LMA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf nitrogen content per unit dry mass (Nmass) and carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N ratio), across 45 endemic taxa of Mediterranean forests. The influence of environmental variables and the phylogenetic signal of traits were examined to identify the main drivers. Next, we performed paired comparisons in 27 endemic-non endemic pairs, with allopatric, parapatric and sympatric distribution.Results and discussionOverall, trait variability within endemics was remarkably ample, reflecting their diversity in functional types, phylogenetic relationships and biogeographical contexts. Endemics were widely distributed along the resource use gradient associated with LA, LMA and Nmass. Herbaceous taxa showed more resource-acquisitive trait values and prevalence of C and R strategies, while woody endemics were more resource-conservative and stress-tolerant. Traits showed a phylogenetic signal of variable intensity depending on the metrics, with Pagel’s λ approaching the Brownian model for LA and LMA. Environmental factors variously influenced trait variation. LA decreased with temperature and depended on forest type, while LDMC decreased with latitude and precipitation. LMA increased with temperature and varied with ecoregion and forest type, while Nmass decreased with latitude and increased with precipitation. Species pairs analysis revealed a negative effect of the endemic condition on LA, but positive on LMA. Compared with widespread congeners, this pointed to a lower acquisitive ability and stronger resource conservation attitude, also confirmed by CSR strategies. Differences in LA and LMA within allopatric and parapatric pairs were larger than in sympatric pairs, suggesting the role of vicariance in key leaf trait divergence. In advancing our understanding of the functional and ecological characteristics of Mediterranean endemic forest plants, this study may help to predict the effects of the increasing pressures to their habitat and support strategies for their conservation.

Despite increasing evidence of the importance of intraspecific trait variation in plant communities, its role in community trait responses to environmental variation, particularly along broad-scale climatic gradients, is poorly understood. We analyzed functional trait variation among early-successional herbaceous plant communities (old fields) across a 1200-km latitudinal extent in eastern North America, focusing on four traits: vegetative height, leaf area, specific leaf area (SLA), and leaf dry matter content (LDMC). We determined the contributions of species turnover and intraspecific variation to between-site functional dissimilarity at multiple spatial scales and community trait responses to edaphic and climatic factors. Among-site variation in community mean trait values and community trait responses to the environment were generated by a combination of species turnover and intraspecific variation, with species turnover making a greater contribution for all traits. The relative importance of intraspecific variation decreased with increasing geographic and environmental distance between sites for SLA and leaf area. Intraspecific variation was most important for responses of vegetative height and responses to edaphic compared to climatic factors. Individual species displayed strong trait responses to environmental factors in many cases, but these responses were highly variable among species and did not usually scale up to the community level. These findings provide new insights into the role of intraspecific trait variation in plant communities and the factors controlling its relative importance. The contribution of intraspecific variation to community trait responses was greatest at fine spatial scales and along edaphic gradients, while species turnover dominated at broad spatial scales and along climatic gradients.

Exploring the changes in plant leaf functional traits in response to altitude across various altitudinal gradients of climax communities in karst regions can elucidate the characteristics of survival strategy adaptations among plant communities. This understanding may also reveal the growth dynamics and driving factors of climax communities in unique habitats. In this study, we examined nine climax communities located in the karst region of Southwest China, categorizing them into three distinct altitude gradients: low-, middle-, and high-altitude communities. By integrating species characteristics and community structure, we analyzed the patterns of change in leaf functional traits among plant communities at different altitudinal gradients and the relationships between these functional traits and environmental factors across the varying altitudes. The results indicated the following: (1) There was a significant difference in the specific leaf area (SLA) of the community as altitude increased, with a gradual decrease observed. The traits exhibiting higher coefficients of variation (CVs) in the leaves of the karst vertex community included the leaf carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (LCN), leaf area (LA), and leaf dry matter content (LDMC). Additionally, the environmental factors with higher CVs included soil organic carbon (SOC), soil phosphorus content (SPC), and the soil carbon-to-phosphorus ratio (SCP). (2) Soil organic carbon content (SOC), total nitrogen content (SNC), carbon-to-phosphorus ratio (SCP), and nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratio (SNP) demonstrated significant differences with increasing altitude. (3) The primary environmental factors influencing plant communities in karst areas included soil nitrogen content (SNC), mean annual temperature (NJW), soil organic carbon content (SOC), soil phosphorus content (SPC), soil water content (SWC), and mean annual precipitation (NJS). Our results indicated that the variation in leaf functional traits with altitude in karst climax communities was inconsistent. Among these traits, the specific leaf area (SLA) showed the most significant variation, and karst climax communities appeared to adapt to environmental changes by regulating traits such as leaf area (LA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), and leaf carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (LCN). Soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil phosphorus content (SPC) are key factors contributing to habitat heterogeneity in the karst region. The karst climax communities are influenced by both soil and climatic factors along the altitudinal gradient. As altitude increases, these communities tend to adopt a life strategy. Furthermore, high-altitude terminal communities in karst areas are more susceptible to environmental filtering, while low-altitude areas are more affected by limitations in similarity.

Abstract. Dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) typically rely on plant functional types (PFTs), which are assigned distinct environmental tolerances and replace one another progressively along environmental gradients. Fixed values of traits are assigned to each PFT; modelled trait variation along gradients is thus driven by PFT replacement. But empirical studies have revealed "universal" scaling relationships (quantitative trait variations with climate that are similar within and between species, PFTs and communities); and continuous, adaptive trait variation has been proposed to replace PFTs as the basis for next-generation DGVMs. Here we analyse quantitative leaf-trait variation on long temperature and moisture gradients in China with a view to understanding the relative importance of PFT replacement vs. continuous adaptive variation within PFTs. Leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and nitrogen content of dry matter were measured on all species at 80 sites ranging from temperate to tropical climates and from dense forests to deserts. Chlorophyll fluorescence traits and carbon, phosphorus and potassium contents were measured at 47 sites. Generalized linear models were used to relate log-transformed trait values to growing-season temperature and moisture indices, with or without PFT identity as a predictor, and to test for differences in trait responses among PFTs. Continuous trait variation was found to be ubiquitous. Responses to moisture availability were generally similar within and between PFTs, but biophysical traits (LA, SLA and LDMC) of forbs and grasses responded differently from woody plants. SLA and LDMC responses to temperature were dominated by the prevalence of evergreen PFTs with thick, dense leaves at the warm end of the gradient. Nutrient (N, P and K) responses to climate gradients were generally similar within all PFTs. Area-based nutrients generally declined with moisture; Narea and Karea declined with temperature, but Parea increased with temperature. Although the adaptive nature of many of these trait-climate relationships is understood qualitatively, a key challenge for modelling is to predict them quantitatively. Models must take into account that community-level responses to climatic gradients can be influenced by shifts in PFT composition, such as the replacement of deciduous by evergreen trees, which may run either parallel or counter to trait variation within PFTs. The importance of PFT shifts varies among traits, being important for biophysical traits but less so for physiological and chemical traits. Finally, models should take account of the diversity of trait values that is found in all sites and PFTs, representing the "pool" of variation that is locally available for the natural adaptation of ecosystem function to environmental change.

Accuracy and limitations for spectroscopic prediction of leaf traits in seasonally dry tropical environments