Global meta-analysis shows that relationships of leaf mass per area with species shade tolerance depend on leaf habit and ontogeny
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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Relating Stomatal Conductance to Leaf Functional Traits
Published on: October 12, 2015
Christopher H Lusk1, David I Warton2
1Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia.
Abstract:
It was predicted that relationships of leaf mass per area (LMA) with juvenile shade tolerance will depend on leaf habit, and on whether species are compared at a common age as young seedlings, or at a common size as saplings. A meta-analysis of 47 comparative studies (372 species) was used to test predictions, and the effect of light environment on this relationship. The LMA of evergreens was positively correlated with shade tolerance, irrespective of ontogeny or light environment. The LMA of young seedlings (
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