title: Decoupled leaf and stem economics in rain forest trees.
abstract: Cross-species analyses of plant functional traits have shed light on factors contributing to differences in performance and distribution, but to date most studies have focused on either leaves or stems. We extend these tissue-specific analyses of functional strategy towards a whole-plant approach by integrating data on functional traits for 13 448 leaves and wood tissues from 4672 trees representing 668 species of Neotropical trees. Strong correlations amongst traits previously defined as the leaf economics spectrum reflect a tradeoff between investments in productive leaves with rapid turnover vs. costly physical leaf structure with a long revenue stream. A second axis of variation, the 'stem economics spectrum', defines a similar tradeoff at the stem level: dense wood vs. high wood water content and thick bark. Most importantly, these two axes are orthogonal, suggesting that tradeoffs operate independently at the leaf and at the stem levels. By simplifying the multivariate ecological strategies of tropical trees into positions along these two spectra, our results provide a basis to improve global vegetation models predicting responses of tropical forests to global change.
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane, 97387 Kourou Cedex, French Guiana. chris.baraloto@ecofog.gf
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baraloto
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Timothy Paine
authors.forename: Lourens
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Poorter
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beauchene
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bonal
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Domenach
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hérault
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patiño
authors.forename: Jean-Christophe
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Roggy
authors.forename: Jerome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chave
mesh_terms: D008962:Models, Theoretical; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000254:growth & development; D014197:Trees / Q000254:growth & development*; D014329:Tropical Climate