Importance of the actual plant height in modulating the within-community spectrum of plant form and function
Maximum height (Hmax) is a principal driver or correlate of interspecific variation in many plant functional traits. Still, it remains unclear why leaf resource economic traits are invariant with Hmax at global scale and why broad-scale interspecific trait correlations are not retained at local scal...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1616656/full |
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| author | Dong He En-Rong Yan En-Rong Yan Li-Ting Zheng Yan-Jun Song Xiao-Dong Yang Wen-Hui You J. Hans C. Cornelissen |
| author_facet | Dong He En-Rong Yan En-Rong Yan Li-Ting Zheng Yan-Jun Song Xiao-Dong Yang Wen-Hui You J. Hans C. Cornelissen |
| author_sort | Dong He |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Maximum height (Hmax) is a principal driver or correlate of interspecific variation in many plant functional traits. Still, it remains unclear why leaf resource economic traits are invariant with Hmax at global scale and why broad-scale interspecific trait correlations are not retained at local scale. Here we proposed that the actual plant height (Hact), which is tightly linked with highly localized abiotic and biotic interactions, is more important than Hmax in determining plant morpho-physiological traits among locally co-occurring plants. We tested the idea across community, regional, and global scales. We also examined correlations among 22 traits, including leaf physiology, hydraulics, and crown architecture, within a subtropical forest in Eastern China. Additionally, we explored how Hact-driven trait variations align with vertical patterns of microclimates. Results showed stronger correlations between leaf traits and Hact at the community level, except for leaf area. Intraspecific variation exceeded interspecific variation, and trait correlations were stronger at the individual level than at the species level. Hact positively correlated with traits like crown area, leaf mass per area, stomatal density, and hydraulic conductivity but negatively with stem hydraulic safety margin and leaf coverage. Vertical changes in photosynthetically active radiation explained most Hact-driven trait variations. Our findings suggest that Hact influences plant trade-offs in biomass allocation and photosynthetic-hydraulic limitations, shaping functional diversity within communities. This highlights Hact as a key factor in balancing resource use, support, and water transport among coexisting plants. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8bd8b07086f74708b2ed037bc74cd3d7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-8bd8b07086f74708b2ed037bc74cd3d72025-08-20T03:32:20ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2025-07-011610.3389/fpls.2025.16166561616656Importance of the actual plant height in modulating the within-community spectrum of plant form and functionDong He0En-Rong Yan1En-Rong Yan2Li-Ting Zheng3Yan-Jun Song4Xiao-Dong Yang5Wen-Hui You6J. Hans C. Cornelissen7College of Ecology and the Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumchi, ChinaCollege of Ecology and the Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumchi, ChinaShanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, ChinaShanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, ChinaShanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, ChinaShanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, ChinaShanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, ChinaSystems Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit (VU University), Amsterdam, NetherlandsMaximum height (Hmax) is a principal driver or correlate of interspecific variation in many plant functional traits. Still, it remains unclear why leaf resource economic traits are invariant with Hmax at global scale and why broad-scale interspecific trait correlations are not retained at local scale. Here we proposed that the actual plant height (Hact), which is tightly linked with highly localized abiotic and biotic interactions, is more important than Hmax in determining plant morpho-physiological traits among locally co-occurring plants. We tested the idea across community, regional, and global scales. We also examined correlations among 22 traits, including leaf physiology, hydraulics, and crown architecture, within a subtropical forest in Eastern China. Additionally, we explored how Hact-driven trait variations align with vertical patterns of microclimates. Results showed stronger correlations between leaf traits and Hact at the community level, except for leaf area. Intraspecific variation exceeded interspecific variation, and trait correlations were stronger at the individual level than at the species level. Hact positively correlated with traits like crown area, leaf mass per area, stomatal density, and hydraulic conductivity but negatively with stem hydraulic safety margin and leaf coverage. Vertical changes in photosynthetically active radiation explained most Hact-driven trait variations. Our findings suggest that Hact influences plant trade-offs in biomass allocation and photosynthetic-hydraulic limitations, shaping functional diversity within communities. This highlights Hact as a key factor in balancing resource use, support, and water transport among coexisting plants.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1616656/fullcrown architecturedry-mass allocation allometryhydraulic limitationleaf and wood economicslocal scalemaximum plant height |
| spellingShingle | Dong He En-Rong Yan En-Rong Yan Li-Ting Zheng Yan-Jun Song Xiao-Dong Yang Wen-Hui You J. Hans C. Cornelissen Importance of the actual plant height in modulating the within-community spectrum of plant form and function Frontiers in Plant Science crown architecture dry-mass allocation allometry hydraulic limitation leaf and wood economics local scale maximum plant height |
| title | Importance of the actual plant height in modulating the within-community spectrum of plant form and function |
| title_full | Importance of the actual plant height in modulating the within-community spectrum of plant form and function |
| title_fullStr | Importance of the actual plant height in modulating the within-community spectrum of plant form and function |
| title_full_unstemmed | Importance of the actual plant height in modulating the within-community spectrum of plant form and function |
| title_short | Importance of the actual plant height in modulating the within-community spectrum of plant form and function |
| title_sort | importance of the actual plant height in modulating the within community spectrum of plant form and function |
| topic | crown architecture dry-mass allocation allometry hydraulic limitation leaf and wood economics local scale maximum plant height |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1616656/full |
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