Nectar traits of New Zealand trees vary across climatic zones.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

To evaluate whether plant traits (nectar volume, concentration, sugar mass, flower fresh mass, and size) vary regionally in response to climate, we examined eight native New Zealand tree species.

Methods

Flowers were sampled using micropipettes from seven sites across five climate zones spanning both main islands (37-45°S/170-177°E) after having been bagged for 24 hours. Trait data were standardized (0-1 scale) and pooled into a global dataset for cross-species analysis. We used linear regression to assess correlations between plant traits across and within species, followed by parametric and non-parametric tests to examine regional variation. Generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) were applied to model trait responses to regional climate factors, identifying

SUBMITTER: van Delden JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12531208 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature