Understanding variation in key functional traits across gradients in high diversity systems and the ecology of community changes along gradients in these systems is crucial in light of conservation and climate change. We examined inter- and intraspecific variation in leaf mass per area (LMA) of sun and shade leaves along a 3330-m elevation gradient in Peru, and in sun leaves across a forest-savanna vegetation gradient in Brazil. We also compared LMA variance ratios (T-statistics metrics) to null models to explore internal (i.e., abiotic) and environmental filtering on community structure along the gradients. Community- weighted LMA increased with decreasing forest cover in Brazil, likely due to increased light availability and water stress, and increased with elevation in Peru, consistent with the leaf economic spectrum strategy expected in colder, less productive environments. A very high species turnover was observed along both environmental gradients, and consequently, the first source of variation in LMA was species turnover. Variation in LMA at the genus or family levels was greater in Peru than in Brazil. Using dominant trees to examine possible filters on community assembly, we found that in Brazil, internal filtering was strongest in the forest, while environmental filtering was observed in the dry savanna. In Peru, internal filtering was observed along 80% of the gradient, perhaps due to variation in taxa or interspecific competition. Environmental filtering was observed at cloud zone edges and in lowlands, possibly due to water and nutrient availability, respectively. These results related to variation in LMA indicate that biodiversity in species rich tropical assemblages may be structured by differential niche-based processes. In the future, specific mechanisms generating these patterns of variation in leaf functional traits across tropical environmental gradients should be explored.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/621563 |
| Date | 08 1900 |
| Creators | Neyret, Margot, Bentley, Lisa Patrick, Oliveras, Imma, Marimon, Beatriz S., Marimon-Junior, Ben Hur, Almeida de Oliveira, Edmar, Barbosa Passos, Fábio, Castro Ccoscco, Rosa, dos Santos, Josias, Matias Reis, Simone, Morandi, Paulo S., Rayme Paucar, Gloria, Robles Cáceres, Arturo, Valdez Tejeira, Yolvi, Yllanes Choque, Yovana, Salinas, Norma, Shenkin, Alexander, Asner, Gregory P., Díaz, Sandra, Enquist, Brian J., Malhi, Yadvinder |
| Contributors | Univ Arizona, Dept Ecol & Evolutionary Biol, École Normale Supérieure; 45, rue d'Ulm F75005 Paris France, School of Geography and the Environment; Environmental Change Institute; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3QY UK, School of Geography and the Environment; Environmental Change Institute; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3QY UK, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso; BR 158 km 650 Nova Xavantina Mato Grosso Brazil, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso; BR 158 km 650 Nova Xavantina Mato Grosso Brazil, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso; BR 158 km 650 Nova Xavantina Mato Grosso Brazil, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso; BR 158 km 650 Nova Xavantina Mato Grosso Brazil, Universidad San Antonio Abad de Cusco; Av. de la Cultura, Nro. 733 Cusco Peru, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso; BR 158 km 650 Nova Xavantina Mato Grosso Brazil, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso; BR 158 km 650 Nova Xavantina Mato Grosso Brazil, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso; BR 158 km 650 Nova Xavantina Mato Grosso Brazil, Universidad San Antonio Abad de Cusco; Av. de la Cultura, Nro. 733 Cusco Peru, Universidad San Antonio Abad de Cusco; Av. de la Cultura, Nro. 733 Cusco Peru, Universidad San Antonio Abad de Cusco; Av. de la Cultura, Nro. 733 Cusco Peru, Universidad San Antonio Abad de Cusco; Av. de la Cultura, Nro. 733 Cusco Peru, School of Geography and the Environment; Environmental Change Institute; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3QY UK, School of Geography and the Environment; Environmental Change Institute; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3QY UK, Department of Global Ecology; Carnegie Institution for Science; 260 Panama Street Stanford California 94305, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV); CONICET and FCEFyN; Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Casilla de Correo 495 5000 Córdoba Argentina, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Arizona; Tucson Arizona 85721, School of Geography and the Environment; Environmental Change Institute; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3QY UK |
| Publisher | WILEY-BLACKWELL |
| Source Sets | University of Arizona |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Article |
| Rights | © 2016 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Relation | http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/ece3.2281 |
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