Climatic factors shaping intraspecific leaf trait variation of a neotropical tree along a rainfall gradient.

ABSTRACT: Intraspecific trait variation has been singled out as an important mechanism by which individuals can cope with environmental variations and avoid local extinctions. Here we evaluate variation in metamer traits (i.e., traits associated with internodes, petioles and their corresponding leaves) and parameters of chlorophyll fluorescence within and among populations of a neotropical tree, Copaifera langsdorffii. We also evaluated phenotypic plasticity in natural settings comparing traits between shade and sun-exposed metamers. We selected six populations along a climatic gradient ranging from semi-arid to humid and representing three different biomes (Caatinga, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest). Local climatic conditions significantly affected the morphological and physiological traits of populat

SUBMITTER: Souza ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6283565 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature