Within-individual leaf trait variation increases with phenotypic integration in a subtropical tree diversity...

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Plant Biology
• Trait Evolution

Background:

• Phenotypic integration, the covariation among plant traits, is known to influence inter- and intraspecific trait variation.
• However, its effect on within-individual trait variation (WTV) remains poorly understood, hindering our comprehension of plant adaptability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between phenotypic integration and WTV in trees.
• To determine if phenotypic integration influences the functional variation of traits within a single plant.

Main Methods:

• Studied approximately 500 trees across 21 species in subtropical China.
• Utilized visible and near-infrared spectroscopy (Vis-NIRS) to measure nine leaf morphological and chemical traits.
• Quantified WTV and phenotypic integration using trait network properties and multitrait hypervolumes.

Main Results:

• Contrary to expectations, stronger phenotypic integration within trees correlated with increased WTV across leaves.
• Both single-trait variation and multitrait dispersion showed a positive association with phenotypic integration.
• The diversity of surrounding tree species had a minimal impact on these relationships.

Conclusions:

• Integrated plant phenotypes facilitate greater leaf trait variability within an individual organism.
• Phenotypic integration appears to play a crucial role in preventing maladaptive trait variation at the within-individual level.