Traits vary differently across a lowland forest–sand dune gradient in two common trees of the Amazon restinga coast

Abstract

Intraspecific trait variation is a key feature that enables species to occur in heterogeneous landscapes. We studied Clusia grandiflora and Anacardium occidentale traits over a forest–dune gradient on the Brazilian Amazon coast (restinga). C. grandiflora showed a drought-avoidance strategy, storing water in its leaves, whereas A. occidentale showed conservative resource use in leaves, evidenced by its high dry-matter content and acquisitive resource in wood, showing lower wood density. Only A. occidentale changed its trait values through the forest–dune gradient, showing more conservative leaves in dunes and shrublands, despite a lower wood density than in forest. Leaf and wood traits are likely to be decoupled among Amazon coastal trees and their responses to environmental gradients are species-specific.