Functional traits and the growth mortality trade-off in tropical trees

• Autores: Wright, S. Joseph; Kitajima, Kaoru; Kraft, Nathan J. B.; Reich, Peter B.; Wright, Ian J.; Bunker, Daniel E.; Condit, Richard; Dalling, James W.; Davies, Stuart J.; Diaz, Sandra Myrna; Engelbrecht, Bettina M. J.; Harms, Kyle E.; Hubbel, Stephen P.; Marks, Christian O.; Ruiz Jaen, María C.; Salvador, Cristina; Zanne, Amy
• Año de publicación: 2010
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: Plant Functional Traits; Tropical Trees; Growths Roots; Leaf Mass Per Area; Maximum Height; Maximum Size; Mortality Rates; Seed Mass; Wood Density
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

A trade-off between growth and mortality rates characterizes tree species in closed canopy forests. This trade-off is maintained by inherent differences among species and spatial variation in light availability caused by canopy-opening disturbances. We evaluated conditions under which the trade-off is expressed and relationships with four key functional traits for 103 tree species from Barro Colorado Island, Panama. The trade-off is strongest for saplings for growth rates of the fastest growing individuals and mortality rates of the slowest growing individuals (r2 = 0.69), intermediate for saplings for average growth rates and overall mortality rates (r2 = 0.46), and much weaker for large trees (r2 ≤ 0.10). This parallels likely levels of spatial variation in light availability, which is greatest for fast- vs. slow-growing saplings and least for large trees with foliage in the forest canopy. Inherent attributes of species contributing to the trade-off include abilities to disperse, acquire resources, grow rapidly, and tolerate shade and other stresses. There is growing interest in the possibility that functional traits might provide insight into such ecological differences and a growing consensus that seed mass (SM), leaf mass per area (LMA), wood density (WD), and maximum height (Hmax) are key traits among forest trees. Seed mass, LMA, WD, and Hmax are predicted to be small for light-demanding species with rapid growth and mortality and large for shade-tolerant species with slow growth and mortality. Six of these trait–demographic rate predictions were realized for saplings; however, with the exception of WD, the relationships were weak (r2 < 0.1 for three and r2 < 0.2 for five of the six remaining relationships). The four traits together explained 43–44% of interspecific variation in species positions on the growth–mortality trade-off; however, WD alone accounted for >80% of the explained variation and, after WD was included, LMA and Hmax made insignificant contributions. Virtually the full range of values of SM, LMA, and Hmax occurred at all positions on the growth–mortality trade-off. Although WD provides a promising start, a successful trait-based ecology of tropical forest trees will require consideration of additional traits.
Fil: Wright, S. Joseph. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Panamá
Fil: Kitajima, Kaoru. University of Florida. Department of Biology; Estados Unidos. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Panamá
Fil: Kraft, Nathan J. B.. University of California. Department of Integrative Biology; Estados Unidos
Fil: Reich, Peter B.. University of Minnesota. Department of Forest Resources; Estados Unidos
Fil: Wright, Ian J.. Macquarie University. Department of Biological Sciences; Australia
Fil: Bunker, Daniel E.. New Jersey Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Sciences; Estados Unidos
Fil: Condit, Richard. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Estados Unidos
Fil: Dalling, James W.. University of Illinois. Department of Plant Biology; Estados Unidos. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Estados Unidos
Fil: Davies, Stuart J.. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Estados Unidos
Fil: Diaz, Sandra Myrna. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina
Fil: Engelbrecht, Bettina M. J.. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Estados Unidos. University of Bayreuth. Department of Plant Ecology; Alemania
Fil: Harms, Kyle E.. Louisiana State University. Department of Biological Sciences; Estados Unidos. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Estados Unidos
Fil: Hubbel, Stephen P.. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Estados Unidos. University of California. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Estados Unidos
Fil: Marks, Christian O.. University of Minnesota. Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior; Estados Unidos
Fil: Ruiz Jaen, María C.. McGill University. Department of Biology; Canadá
Fil: Salvador, Cristina. Santa Fe Botanical Garden; Estados Unidos
Fil: Zanne, Amy. University of Missouri. Department of Biology; Estados Unidos