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Development of an Individual-Tree Basal Area Increment Model using a Linear Mixed-Effects Approach

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Competition-Induced Trait Variability Obscures Trait-Growth Relationships of Tree Seedlings.

Jing Yang^1,2, Guochun Shen^1,3, Xihua Wang^1,3

¹Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.

Ecology Letters

|November 9, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Plant traits predict growth without competition, but competition obscures these relationships. Competition increases trait variability and suppresses growth, leading to diverse strategies that weaken trait-growth correlations in natural plant communities.

Keywords:

competition individual growth intraspecific trait variability seedling experiment trait plasticity trait–environment interactions trait–growth relationships

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Plant Ecology
Trait-based Ecology

Background:

Trait-based ecology aims to predict plant growth using individual trait variability.
Empirical studies show weak trait-growth relationships due to unclear mechanisms, especially under competition.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the influence of competition on the relationship between plant functional traits and seedling growth.
To determine if competition-induced trait variability explains weak trait-growth correlations in plant communities.

Main Methods:

A 3-year experiment involving 5188 seedlings.
Measurement of 10 functional traits and seedling growth under varying competition levels.
Statistical analysis of trait-growth relationships with and without competition.

Main Results:

Without competition, functional traits strongly predicted seedling growth, with higher trait variability enhancing predictive power.
Competition significantly reduced the predictive ability of traits on growth.
Competition increased individual trait variability and suppressed overall growth rates, leading to diverse growth strategies.

Conclusions:

Competition-induced trait variability is a key factor driving weak trait-growth relationships in natural plant communities.
Understanding competition dynamics is crucial for improving plant growth predictions in trait-based ecology.
Experimental evidence supports the hypothesis that diverse strategies under competition obscure direct trait-growth correlations.