Ontogenetic shifts in wood anatomy and leaf traits in tropical dry forests.

ABSTRACT: Trees experience changes in environmental conditions and biophysical constraints as they grow that may lead to shifts in functional traits. While ontogenetic shifts in leaf traits are relatively well understood, changes in wood anatomy traits from seedlings to adults are less clear, especially in tropical dry forests where drought strongly influences adult wood traits. We collected wood and leaf functional trait data for seedlings and adult trees in four dry forest sites along a rainfall gradient in Colombia. Using a Bayesian framework, we quantified intraspecific trait shifts between seedlings and adults, and we compared functional axes and trait correlations between these stages. Leaf traits shifted along a clear functional axis from more acquisitive seedlings to more conservative adults

SUBMITTER: Williams PJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12712423 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature