Leaf Economics Spectrum Research Articles

Tree species differ in their ability to use light efficiently, affecting carbon gain, establishment and survival in highly heterogeneous environments. This efficiency relies on the maintenance of the photosynthetic induction state, regulated by structural, biochemical, photochemical and stomatal processes that vary along the leaf economics spectrum (LES). Slow return species, such as shade-tolerant species (often late successional), are thought to sustain higher photosynthetic induction state, while quick return species, like light-demanding species (often early successionals) would have lower shade acclimation and shade-tolerant species lower acclimation to high light. Yet, results often deviate from these predictions. Moreover, most LES traits reflect steady state performance, not dynamic responses. Here, we investigated photosynthetic induction responses in four widely distributed Brazilian tree species representing contrasting successional groups and LES positions, grown under 10% light, 50% light and Full sun. We quantified induction dynamics in terms of CO2 assimilation, stomatal conductance, electron transport rate, as well as chlorophyll content, and leaf mass per area (LMA). Acclimation to distinct light environments was assessed using a shade adjustment coefficient and a novel metric based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Relative Plasticity (RP). RP suggests an asymmetrical bell-shaped relationship with LES position: the slow return Hymenaea courbaril showed low plasticity and little change in resource allocation (LMA), photosynthetic rates or induction times; the fast-return Schinus terebinthifolia, displayed moderate plasticity but unexpectedly high shade acclimation showing high induction state and CO2 assimilation rates; and the intermediate strategists Cecropia pachystachya and Handroanthus impetiginosus exhibited the highest plasticity, with coordinated increases in LMA, CO2 assimilation, conductance and photosynthetic induction under increasing light conditions. These findings highlight the importance of integrating photosynthetic dynamics into ecophysiological frameworks for species selection in reforestation, particularly in heterogeneous light environments, where adaptive flexibility can play a critical role on the resilience of an ecosystem.

Water uptake depth is often coordinated with leaf morphology, nutrient and water use traits across dryland plant species, but such trait coordination remains largely unexplored in plants from more humid but nutrient-poor habitats. We assessed how the year-round water uptake pattern influences the leaf economics spectrum (LES) and isotopic water use traits across five representative native tree species inhabiting limestone soils and sandstone-derived yellow soils in humid subtropical SW China. We used xylem water isotopes (δ18O, δ2H) to infer water uptake depth, leaf δ13C and Δ18O as proxies for time-integrated water-use efficiency and stomatal conductance, respectively, and key LES traits (SLA, Nmass, Narea) as indices of carbon-nutrient economy. Soil water uptake depth strongly influenced the inter-specific variations in leaf economic and water use traits, especially during the dry winter-spring period. Shallow-rooted species using water stored in fertile topsoil layers exhibited lower carbon investment per leaf area, higher leaf N and water contents, and higher δ13C values. Conversely, deep-rooted species using deeper soil/bedrock water exhibited thicker and more schlerophyllous leaves combined with lower leaf N, water contents and δ13C values. Across species, leaf δ13C increased with N content, revealing that N-induced differences in photosynthetic capacity are the dominant control over inter-specific variation in intrinsic water-use efficiency. Shallow-rooted species exhibited lower foliar Δ18O values (indicative of looser stomatal regulation and water-spender strategy), potentially facilitating nutrient uptake from fertile topsoil. Specifically, Zanthoxylum bungeanum played a central role in shaping the broad water-spender to water-saver continuum observed across the target species. Our findings highlight how shallow-rooted tree species can adopt a resource-acquisitive strategy through coupled enhancement of soil water and nutrient capture, stomatal conductance, photosynthetic capacity and water-use efficiency. We provide novel insights into key ecophysiological mechanisms that may help maintain tree species diversity and coexistence in humid but nutrient-poor subtropical habitats.

Abstract Key message Evergreen and deciduous species in a subtropical urban forest of Eastern China exhibit pronounced differences in leaf traits, with evergreens species showing lower photosynthetic rate on a leaf mass basis and leaf nutrient contents, but higher leaf mass per area ratio, leaf thickness, leaf carbon content, and leaf carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, whereas deciduous species show the opposite pattern, reflecting distinct resource-use characteristics. In addition, leaf economic and hydraulic traits are coordinated, with higher vein density associated with higher scores along the leaf economics spectrum PCA axis, reflecting resource-acquisitive characteristics and highlighting vein density as a key trait linking water transport capacity to carbon economy. Context Understanding how leaf economics and hydraulic traits vary and interact among different plant growth forms and leaf habits is essential for elucidating plant adaptability. However, the coupling of these two trait dimensions remains unclear within urban forest ecosystems where environmental conditions differ significantly from natural forests. Aims This study aimed to investigate variation and coordination between leaf economics and hydraulic traits among woody species in a subtropical urban forest of Eastern China, focusing on differences between leaf habits and growth forms. Methods We measured 10 leaf economic traits and 4 hydraulic traits across 53 woody species from a subtropical urban forest. Results Evergreen species exhibited lower photosynthetic rate on a leaf mass basis, leaf nutrient contents, and higher leaf mass per area ratio, leaf thickness, leaf carbon content, and leaf carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, consistent with resource-conserving characteristics. Deciduous species showed higher values of these parameters, indicative of rapid resource acquisition. Shrubs displayed significantly higher phosphorous content in leaves than trees. Vein density was positively correlated with the leaf economic spectrum. Conclusion These findings reveal a coordination between leaf hydraulic and economic traits. This coupling highlights the balance between water transport and resource acquisition characteristics.

ABSTRACTTraits of the “leaf economics spectrum” (LES) relate to a functional trade‐off between slow and fast return on carbon investment, but it is not clear whether the globally observed trait‐relationships also hold in local plant communities. We studied four leaf traits associated with the LES in 20 grassland species, which represented different strategies in spatial resource acquisition (from small to large) and temporal resource acquisition (from early to late). Species were grouped into three partly overlapping pools of eight species to create a field experiment with 138 communities of varying species richness (1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 species), which either varied in spatial resource acquisition, temporal resource acquisition or both. Leaf nitrogen concentrations (NLeaf) and greenness (LeafG) decreased with species richness, while leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and specific leaf area (SLA) did not. Species with different spatial resource acquisition varied in leaf traits, suggesting that large species had “fast” traits (low LDMC, high NLeaf, dark LeafG), while small species had “slow” traits (high LDMC, low NLeaf, light LeafG). The extent of intraspecific trait variation (ITV) was smallest in LDMC and largest for NLeaf, but for all leaf traits, a greater portion of trait variation among communities was explained by interspecific trait variation (i.e., different species compositions) than ITV. Species with “fast” traits generally contributed more to total biomass than those with “slow” traits, but species biomass proportions did not always match expectations for all traits related to the “fast‐slow” trade‐off. Multi‐trait analyses showed that trait relationships expected from LES were not always present, and were modified by ITV and trade‐offs. In summary, independent responses of individual LES traits to local plant diversity lead to context‐dependent trait–trait relationships, which cannot easily be interpreted as differences in growth strategies, and thus limiting the general applicability of LES in grassland communities.

Teak (Tectona grandis) is a valuable tropical timber species, but knowledge about its environmental adaptability for tree breeding is limited. Progeny trial is crucial for improving breeding materials as progeny performance and resilience to environmental stresses can be assessed for future breeding effort. In this study, we examined the variations in growth, crown architecture and leaf traits in a progeny trial in Indonesia. We retained the best components to explain the relationships among 14 traits and analyzed their genotypic correlations. Our results indicate that family differences contribute to the variation in leaf functional traits such as phosphorus content and SPAD value, which indicate chlorophyll content. Further, we identified three major trait axes that explained most of the trait variations by principal component analysis. The first and second axes represented the leaf economics spectrum, and variations related to tree size, respectively, while the third axis represented venation traits. Additionally, leaf chlorophyll content indicated by SPAD value was an effective tool for evaluating progeny performance because of its strong correlations with growth rate and leaf nutrient contents. These findings provide valuable insights for future progeny trial planning in breeding programs toward enhancing resilience and productivity in teak.

Variations in the leaf economics spectrum, anatomical, ultrastructural, and stomatal traits of five tree species in the urban-rural air pollution environment

Understanding the relationships between species' demography and functional traits is crucial for gaining a mechanistic understanding of community dynamics. While leaf morphology represents a key functional dimension for plants worldwide (i.e., the leaf economics spectrum), its ability to explain variation in trees' life history strategies remains limited. Plant growth is influenced by both leaf morphology and allocation; hence, incorporating both dimensions is essential but rarely done. Additionally, trait–performance relationships have mainly been studied in tropical communities, leaving gaps in our understanding of temperate forests where different seasonality patterns may alter these relationships. We examined whether species' leaf area index (leaf area per crown size, LAI), a measure of leaf allocation, explains the variation of juvenile tree species' potential growth rates in a winter‐deciduous broadleaf forest. LAI has not been characterized as a species‐level trait, but its ability to predict plant productivity at the ecosystem scale highlights its potential for explaining plant growth. We evaluated species' maximum LAI both individually and in conjunction with wood density (WD) and leaf mass per area (LMA). We expected that models would improve when both leaf morphology (LMA) and leaf allocation (LAI) were included and that species with denser crowns would have higher potential growth rates. LAI and LMA were significant predictors of growth but only when both were incorporated, and together explained a high proportion of species' growth variations (R2adj = 0.59). We found evidence of a trade‐off between LAI and LMA, with a negative relationship between them and each having a positive influence on species' growth, suggesting that there are multiple allocation strategies to achieve fast growth. A surprisingly positive LMA–growth relationship contrasts with observations from tropical forests. We did not find significant relationships with WD in this forest. Our results highlight that incorporating leaf allocation improves models of trait–performance relationships. They also suggest, in agreement with the limited literature, that temperate forests may exhibit different trait–performance relationships from those of tropical forests, where LMA is negatively related to growth and WD is often important. Clarifying the details and contexts of trait–performance relationships is crucial for applying the functional trait framework to understanding community structure and dynamics of forests globally.

Leaf traits vary widely among plant species, correlating with leaf economics and growth-defense trade-offs. However, the relationship between trait variation and pathogen resistance remains unexplored. Here, we introduce a novel experimental approach to quantitatively assess pathogen resistance using the generalist fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. In this system, leaf discs were infected either through the epidermis, evaluating physical and chemical defense, or a cut surface, solely evaluating chemical defense. We investigated pathogen resistance across 24 species ranging from annual herbs to evergreen tree species. Epidermal infection revealed higher pathogen resistance in evergreens compared with annual herb species, strongly correlated with the leaf economics spectrum. The cell wall content per leaf area explaind 61% of the interspecific variations in the pathogen resistance through epidermal infection. Pathogen resistance following cut-surface infection was associated with the accumulation of defensive chemicals, such as tannins and lignins. Our findings demonstrate how investments in physical and chemical defense enhance pathogen resistance, potentially driving evolutionarily shifts in leaf traits.

Application of ATR-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in fast and simultaneous determination of leaf chemical and functional properties of forest herb species.

The leaf economics spectrum links strategies of plant investment in resource-acquiring leaves to overall fitness. We test whether an economic spectrum can also explain variation in ecological strategies of ant species across environmental gradients, where colony investment in workers is analogous to plant investment in leaves. A fast return of resource investment was associated with large colonies of smaller, less robust, short-lived workers with low nitrogen:phosphorus ratios. Slow resource payback was associated with small colonies of densely built, energetically conservative and longer-lived workers with high nitrogen:phosphorus ratios. Species representing the entire economic continuum co-occurred in all communities. Phylogenetic analyses suggest genus level conservation of core investment templates. These results unify studies of plants and ants, suggesting common economic principles apply across the tree of life.

Litter decomposability has been linked to "soft" traits of green leaves, but relationships with "hard" traits associated with leaf anatomy remain unexplored. Examining anatomical traits within the leaf economic spectrum may enhance our understanding of litter decomposability. In this study, we analyzed the relationships between leaf anatomical traits and decomposability at both species and community levels along a successional gradient of upper Andean tropical forests in Colombia. We conducted a reciprocal translocation field experiment with 15 upper Andean species in 14 permanent plots around Bogotá, collecting 2520 litterbags at four times (3, 6, 12, 18 months). Using a multiple regression model based on foliar traits, we estimated decomposability for the remaining 48 species that compose the plant community (63 species in total) in the studied successional gradient. We measured several leaf anatomical traits in all 63 species and calculated community-weighted means and functional diversity indices with the most effective anatomical predictors of decomposability. We found that thicker cuticles, larger vascular bundles, higher spongy mesophyll proportion, and lower palisade mesophyll proportion are related to low decomposability. Plant communities with thicker protective structures slow down decay rates, while large palisade tissues with cylindrical cells increase litter breakdown. Decomposability did not change along succession due to the balance between high functional evenness in secondary forests and high functional richness in mature forests. Despite potential circularity and interdependence between functional diversity metrics, our study provides novel insights into the anatomical basis of decomposability and community dynamics in successional gradients of upper Andean tropical forests.

Leaf habit, whether a plant is deciduous or evergreen, is one of the most conspicuous traits in plant species, ecosystems, and biomes. In this review, we discuss theories and empirical patterns of deciduous and evergreen habits with a focus on the optimal strategies. Historically, optimal leaf habits and leaf lifespans (LL) have been explained from the viewpoints of carbon economy and nutrient use. In the leaf economics spectrum, deciduous and evergreen species are positioned at the resource-acquisitive and resource-conservative sides of the spectrum, respectively. Seasonal variations in leaf traits of deciduous species could be understood simply as optimization of carbon economy in relation to the progress of the growth season. Evergreen species, however, exhibit more complex patterns, which could be understood as acclimation to seasonal environmental changes or resource allocation to leaf replacement and reproduction. Optimal timing of leaf shedding in evergreen species varies depending on the limiting factor for leaf retention. The return on investment (RI) through the lifetime of a leaf should be greater in evergreen species when there is no environmental suppression. However, RI of evergreen species is often suppressed by seasonal environment or species interaction. Deciduous species can have comparable RIs with evergreen species when they can occupy better environment such as gaps in forests. In conclusion, which leaf habit is advantageous can be understood from trait optimization perspectives. Such knowledge should help forecast how forest ecosystems will respond to changing climate and other anthropogenic environmental impacts.

Abstract A widely accepted perspective posits that an extension of the growing season enhances plant growth by increasing the duration of favorable environmental conditions under warming, which is described as an ecological effect. However, changes in growing season length can also influence plant functional traits and physiological processes, as suggested by the "leaf economics spectrum" theory, a physiological aspect frequently overlooked. Disentangling the ecological and physiological effects of growing season length on plant growth remains challenging due to their co-variation with climate factors. Here we explored the physiological effect through common garden experiments on the Qinghai−Tibetan Plateau. Our findings revealed a trade-off between growing season length and plant growth under controlled climatic conditions, a pattern further corroborated by satellite-based observations across most regions of the plateau. This trade-off was driven by a negative correlation between growing season length and photosynthetic efficiency, suggesting that an extended growing season does not necessarily translate into enhanced carbon assimilation. However, state-of-the-art dynamic global vegetation models failed to adequately capture this trade-off, underscoring the need to integrate the physiological effects of growing season length into these model frameworks for improved predictions of plant growth under climate change.

To elucidate the adaptive mechanisms and strategies of different-aged leaves of Kandelia obovata in response to resource limitations in the Minjiang River Estuary Wetland Nature Reserve, we measured 21 leaf functional traits from current-year and previous-year leaves, and compared the traits between the two leaf types to construct leaf economic spectrum. The results showed that the fresh and dry weight of K. obovata in the previous-year leaves was 2.3 times of current-year leaves. There was a significant difference in nitrogen (N) content, with values of 20.59 mg·g-1 for current-year leaves and 15.88 mg·g-1 for previous-year leaves, as well as in phosphorus (P) content, with values of 1.40 and 1.06 mg·g-1, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between N and P content. The net photosynthetic rate differed significantly, with values of 7.53 and 4.68 μmol·m-2·s-1 for current-year and previous-year leaves, respectively. There was a significant difference in stomatal conductance (0.16 vs. 0.15 mol·m-2·s-1). The economic spectrum indicated that current-year leaves possessed traits such as thin structure, rapid extension, high photosynthetic efficiency, low leaf tissue density, and higher N and P content, reflecting a strategy of rapid investment and return. In contrast, previous-year leaves exhibited thicker structure, slower extension, lower photosynthetic efficiency, higher leaf tissue density, and lower N and P content, adopting a more conservative and slow-investment growth strategy. These findings suggested that K. obovata employed two distinct growth strategies, adjusting leaf structure and physiological properties to enhance its survival in stressed environments.

The domestication of crops, a transformative milestone in human history, has largely contributed to reshaping agricultural practices and plant characteristics. This study investigates the functional responses along the wild-cultivated continuum in olive trees in northern Morocco, focusing on leaf functional traits to elucidate domestication effects. We compared wild olive (Olea europaea subsp. europaea var. sylvestris) with traditional cultivated varieties (O. e. subsp. e. var. europaea). Our results reveal clear distinctions in leaf traits, including leaf area, specific leaf area and leaf dry matter content, indicating divergent resource-use strategies. Cultivated varieties displayed traits associated with thicker, denser leaves and higher stomatal density, suggesting adaptations to stress conditions such as water scarcity. Principal component analysis highlighted a leaf economic spectrum, which differentiated wild and cultivated forms and supported the functional trade-off between resource acquisition and conservation. Intraspecific trait variability was substantial, driven by both genetic factors and phenotypic plasticity in response to local environmental gradients. These findings underscore the significant impact of domestication on olive trees, providing insights into the adaptive mechanisms underlying crop resilience in traditional agroecosystems. Our research emphasizes the importance of conserving these traditional olive varieties, not only for their historical and cultural significance but also for the deep understanding they offer regarding the evolving relationship between humans and the plant world.This article is part of the theme issue 'Unravelling domestication: multi-disciplinary perspectives on human and non-human relationships in the past, present and future'.

Abstract Although phenology has long been recognized as a critical feature for the adaptation of organisms to their local environment, until recently, phenological events have seldom been considered in the broader context of trait‐based ecology. Here, we assess the association between phenology and two key traits structuring the phenotype: (i) leaf longevity, or leaf life span, which is a pivotal trait for plant resource use through its role in the so‐called ‘leaf economics spectrum’, and (ii) fruit mass, which contributes to a syndrome evolved by plants to promote seed dispersal. Leaf—production and loss—and reproductive—flowering and fruiting phases—phenology was followed during 4 years on 52 cultivated varieties and wild accessions of olive (Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea) maintained in an ex situ varietal collection located in the Mediterranean Region of southern France. Leaf life span was derived from leaf phenology censuses. Leaf mass per area and leaf nitrogen content were measured to test whether leaf life span and phenology were associated with these two other central traits of the leaf economics spectrum. Fruit fresh mass at harvest was determined to assess the association between reproductive phenology and reproductive output. There was a twofold variation in average leaf life span across varieties, which was related to both the time of peak loss of leaves and the duration of the leaf loss period. We found no evidence that leaf life span and leaf phenology were related to the two other traits of the leaf economics spectrum. Fruit fresh mass, which varied 10‐fold across varieties, was twice as large in cultivated olives than in wild olives. It was related to several phases of reproductive phenology, including fruit development time. Leaf and reproductive phenologies were found to be largely uncoupled. Leaf phenology emerges as a functional dimension largely independent of plant resource use, while reproductive phenology appears as a minor determinant of fruit mass. Overall, these results demonstrate weak associations between phenology and traits describing other aspects of plant form and function within the olive species. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Abstract Leaf and floral traits are often considered independent dimensions of the plant economic spectrum. Leaf traits are assumed to be primarily determined by abiotic factors while floral traits by biotic factors, but both are influenced by a combination of these selection pressures, suggesting that leaf and floral traits may not be completely independent. Pollen and nectar, as key floral resources for pollinators, reflect the interplay between abiotic and biotic factors. Exploring correlations between leaf traits and floral resources may offer new insights into plant strategies. To investigate the potential correlation between leaf traits and floral resources, we focused on 11 animal‐pollinated species growing along an environmental gradient. We hypothesised that greater quantities of floral resources would correlate with larger values for leaf area and specific leaf area and lower values for leaf dry matter content, as this combination of traits is associated with fast nutrient use and high photosynthetic capacity, facilitating greater resource allocation for pollen and nectar production. We measured leaf traits (i.e. leaf area, leaf dry matter content and specific leaf area) and floral resources (i.e. number of pollen grains and nectar volume) in 126 individual plants and tested associations using ordination methods and correlations. We also investigated how abiotic factors (i.e. environmental selection), biotic factors (i.e. pollinator selection) and phenological traits were related to the variation in leaf and floral traits and performed a phylogenetic analysis to assess the contribution of phylogenetic signal to the main trends in variation. Our study showed a significant correlation between leaf traits and the quantity of floral resources. We found that environmental selection was the primary factor explaining the main variation in leaf traits and floral resources, while pollinator‐mediated selection and phenological traits were secondarily associated with variation. The phylogenetic signal showed very little influence on the main trends in trait variation. Synthesis: Although it is generally assumed that vegetative and reproductive traits are subject to different selection pressures, our results highlight their interconnectedness and suggest that their evolution may be characterised by the balance of different selection factors rather than by independent processes.

The leaf economic spectrum framework explains how plants optimize leaf traits for productivity, distribution, and stress tolerance. Orchids in Southwestern China's karst forests, especially lithophytic species, are challenged by prolonged drought and limited light availability. This study investigated different leaf strategies between lithophytic and terrestrial orchids under the harsh karst environment. We measured key leaf traits, including photosynthesis, structure, biomechanics, nitrogen allocation, and water relations, in twenty-two lithophytic and six terrestrial orchids in a subtropical karst forest. After accounting for phylogenetic influences, we found that lithophytic orchids had a higher leaf mass per area, cuticle thickness, and biomechanical resistance (Fp) but a lower maximum photosynthetic rate (Amax-mass), nitrogen allocation to photosynthesis (NT), and saturated water content (SWC) than terrestrial orchids. These results suggest that lithophytic orchids prioritize structural investment and stress tolerance over photosynthetic efficiency. Across species, NT correlated positively with Amax-mass and negatively with Fp, highlighting nitrogen allocation as a key mechanism in leaf cost-benefit strategies. Additionally, SWC emerged as a critical driver of variation in multiple traits, supporting its integration into the leaf economic spectrum for orchids in karst ecosystems. This study offers new insights into orchid adaptation in subtropical karst environments, with implications for plant resilience under changing climates.

Climate change, particularly the increased frequency of extreme climatic events, poses significant challenges to the biodiversity and functionality of semi-natural grasslands. However, the response of plant functional traits of grassland communities to climate extremes is still an unresolved issue. Using data from a long-term experiment, we aimed to characterize the functional response of a grassland community to simultaneous long-term effects of grazing and climate extremes. For a 20-year period, we monitored the species composition of grazed and ungrazed grassland plots. We measured functional traits defining the leaf economics spectrum (LES) and the hydraulic safety-efficiency (HSE) trade-offs, and we identified the temporal dynamics of single traits at the community level as well as the changes in functional strategies among grazed and ungrazed communities. Then, we assessed the role of climatic extremes in driving the changes in functional composition. Grazed plots, in the first few years, were dominated by fast-growing species with more acquisitive strategies compared with ungrazed plots. However, both communities showed a reorganization in functional structure over time, pointing towards a selection of trait combinations favouring more conservative, stress-tolerant strategies. The joint effect of grazing and climate extremes significantly altered the functional composition of the grazed community, leading to a shift from species with grazing-tolerant traits to species with grazing-avoidant, and drought-tolerant, traits. We found that grazing pressure generally promoted functional diversity but led to rapid shifts in community composition when combined with prolonged drought events. In contrast, the ungrazed community, dominated by species with conservative resource-use strategies, showed more stable functional richness and divergence, as well as a reduced sensitivity to climatic extremes. These results underscore the importance of carefully evaluating grazing in the context of climate change, particularly to guide restoration and conservation efforts.

Abstract Background and aims Nickel (Ni) hyperaccumulators are a group of plants able to store elevated amounts of this element in their leaves. Some studies indicate that hyperaccumulation may be associated with traits favouring fast resource capture or with traits favouring nutrient and water conservation, but there is no evidence for the role of nickel hyperaccumulation in the leaf economics spectrum. Our study aims to assess the differences in the leaf economics spectrum between Ni hyperaccumulators and non-hyperaccumulators. Methods We have conducted a field study involving five hyperaccumulators and ten non-hyperaccumulators growing on the same ultramafic community in Sabah (Malaysia). We measured two structural and seven chemical leaf traits and computed a Principal Component Analysis, which was complemented by a test of the phylogenetic signal of each trait and linear mixed models to assess the influence of each leaf trait on nickel accumulation. Results Our analyses inferred three principal components that reflected the main environmental constraints that shape the resource acquisition strategies of the studied ultramafic plant community: leaf economics spectrum, hyperaccumulation and water-use efficiency, and calcium to magnesium balance. Moreover, the linear mixed models indicated that carbon isotope discrimination and potassium concentrations had a significant effect on Ni accumulation, suggesting that nickel might replace partially potassium in its role in plant water balance. Conclusion Overall, the data suggest that in the community studied, Ni hyperaccumulation is independent of the leaf economics spectrum and related to plant water economy. More studies with other hyperaccumulator plants are needed to confirm these findings.