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Logging and soil nutrients independently explain plant trait expression in tropical forests
Author(s) -
Both Sabine,
Riutta Terhi,
Paine C. E. Timothy,
Elias Dafydd M. O.,
Cruz R. S.,
Jain Annuar,
Johnson David,
Kritzler Ully H.,
Kuntz Marianne,
MajalapLee Noreen,
Mielke Nora,
Montoya Pillco Milenka X.,
Ostle Nicholas J.,
Arn Teh Yit,
Malhi Yadvinder,
Burslem David F. R. P.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/nph.15444
Subject(s) - edaphic , nutrient , abiotic component , biology , ecosystem , context (archaeology) , ecology , trait , soil carbon , environmental science , soil water , paleontology , computer science , programming language
Summary Plant functional traits regulate ecosystem functions but little is known about how co‐occurring gradients of land use and edaphic conditions influence their expression. We test how gradients of logging disturbance and soil properties relate to community‐weighted mean traits in logged and old‐growth tropical forests in Borneo. We studied 32 physical, chemical and physiological traits from 284 tree species in eight 1 ha plots and measured long‐term soil nutrient supplies and plant‐available nutrients. Logged plots had greater values for traits that drive carbon capture and growth, whilst old‐growth forests had greater values for structural and persistence traits. Although disturbance was the primary driver of trait expression, soil nutrients explained a statistically independent axis of variation linked to leaf size and nutrient concentration. Soil characteristics influenced trait expression via nutrient availability, nutrient pools, and pH. Our finding, that traits have dissimilar responses to land use and soil resource availability, provides robust evidence for the need to consider the abiotic context of logging when predicting plant functional diversity across human‐modified tropical forests. The detection of two independent axes was facilitated by the measurement of many more functional traits than have been examined in previous studies.