Pierick, K.; Leuschner, C.; Link, R.; Baez, S.; Velescu, A.; Wilcke, W. & Homeier, J. (2024): <b>Above-and belowground strategies of tropical montane tree species are coordinated and driven by small-scale nitrogen availability</b>. <i>Functional Ecology</i> <b>X</b>(X), X-Y.
Resource Description
Title:
Above-and belowground strategies of tropical montane tree species are coordinated and driven by small-scale nitrogen availability
FOR816dw ID:
1962
Publication Date:
2024-03-28
License and Usage Rights:
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.
email:
andre.velescu <at> kit.edu
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie
Institut für Geographie und Geoökologie
Arbeitsgruppe Geomorphologie und Bodenkunde
Reinhard-Baumeister-Platz 1
76131 Karlsruhe
Germany
Individual:
Wolfgang Wilcke
Contact:
email:
wolfgang.wilcke <at> kit.edu
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Institute of Geography and Geoecology
Reinhard-Baumeister-Platz 1
76131 Karlsruhe
Baden-Württemberg
Germany
Individual:
Jürgen Homeier
Contact:
email:
jhomeie <at> gwdg.de
Faculty of Resource Management
University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HAWK)
37077 Göttingen
Germany
Abstract:
1. The question whether the strategies of above-and belowground plant organs<br/>
are coordinated as predicted by the plant economics spectrum theory is still<br/>
under debate. We aim to determine the leading dimensions of tree trait variation<br/>
for above-and belowground functional traits, and test whether they represent<br/>
spectra of adaptation along a soil fertility gradient in tropical Andean<br/>
forests.<br/>
2. We measured leaf, stem and fine root functional traits, and individual-level<br/>
soil nutrient availability for 433 trees from 52 species at three elevations between<br/>
1000 and 3000 m a.s.l.<br/>
3. We found close coordination between above– and belowground functional traits<br/>
related to the trade-off between resource acquisition and conservation, whereas<br/>
root diameter and specific root length formed an independent axis of covarying<br/>
traits. The position of a tree species along the acquisition–conservation axis of<br/>
the trait space was closely associated with local soil nitrogen, but not phosphorus,<br/>
availability.<br/>
4. Our results imply that above-and belowground plant functional traits determine<br/>
at which edaphic microhabitats coexisting tree species can grow, which is potentially<br/>
crucial for understanding community assembly in species-rich<br/>
tropical montane forests.
