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Updated: May 13, 2026

Relating Stomatal Conductance to Leaf Functional Traits
Published on: October 12, 2015
Petioles Occupy a Partly Distinct Functional Spectrum From Laminae in Broadleaved Woody Plants
Guangkai Zhou1,2,3, Carlos Pérez Carmona4,5, Xingchang Wang1
1Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, School of Ecology, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.
Abstract:
The global spectrum of plant form and function has advanced our understanding of ecological strategies, yet the role of petioles has been largely overlooked. Using 7 petiole and 6 lamina traits from 304 broadleaved woody species (2060 individuals) spanning a 4000-km transect in China, we examined the composition of petiole functional structure and its integrated trait space patterns with laminae. Petiole traits define a distinct two-dimensional functional space, structured by orthogonal axes of structural investment and hydraulic efficiency. This space is independent from, and expands beyond, the lamina economics spectrum. Temperature emerges as the dominant driver of petiole structural design and hydraulic efficiency. These findings reveal petiole as a major, independent axis of functional diversity, challenging the lamina-centric paradigm and highlighting its critical role in plant adaptation to environmental heterogeneity.
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