Intraspecific variation in leaf traits of tropical trees-Effect of light and climate

Abstract

Functional traits are easily quantifiable variables that help in understanding species distribution patterns and their responses to changes in the environment. The consequence of intraspecific variation in leaf functional traits in understanding these patterns and their importance in community assembly and climate change models has only recently been recognized. This study examined the effect of climate and light on five leaf functional traits in 29 species across three sites, each hundreds of kilometers apart from the other, in the poorly understood dry tropical forests of India. There was significant interspecific and intraspecific variation for all traits across all three sites. The direction of variation in traits was consistent with the existing literature. In addition, seasonality of rainfall was found to be more important than total rainfall in determining the intraspecific trait variation between sites. Plasticity of traits due to light were dependent on species and site identities. There was no relation between plasticity due to light and inter-site variation. Further studies are required to understand the mechanistic causes of these larger scale patterns.