Reliability of leaf functional traits after delayed measurements

Abstract

In this study, the effect of temporary storage (at 4°C) on measurement of leaf traits was tested. We collected leaf samples from 25 species, which represented different functional types in the high altitude vegetation of western Himalaya, to measure leaf area (LA), leaf rehydration, specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC). Repeated trait measurements were performed for up to 7 days. We found that in all the species, LA increased in initial 24 h of rehydration and thereafter remained stable. Leaf rehydration was found to be sensitive to delayed measurements and changed significantly for up to 7 days. For SLA and LDMC, the effect of storage time was significant only for a few species. On the basis of our findings, we recommend that, for samples stored in dark at 4°C, LA, SLA and LDMC can reliably be estimated after a delay of up to 7 days. Further, these key leaf traits should be estimated only after 24 h of rehydration. Also, trait measurements after prolonged rehydration of leaves should be avoided. Outcomes of this study will be beneficial when a large number of samples are collected from locations far away from laboratory and temporary storage is necessitated before trait measurements.