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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Relating Stomatal Conductance to Leaf Functional Traits

Relating Stomatal Conductance to Leaf Functional Traits

Published on: October 12, 2015

Deciduous and Evergreen Leaf Habit Structures Intraspecific Trait Expression along an Elevational Gradient.

Michael S Peyton^1,2, Katherine T Charton^3,4, Nathan G Kiel^3,5

¹Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53715, USA.

Annals of Botany

|June 24, 2026

Summary

Leaf habit, whether evergreen or deciduous, influences plant traits along elevation gradients. Deciduous species adapt with faster-returning leaves at higher altitudes to maximize carbon gain in shorter growing seasons.

Keywords:

deciduous species elevational gradient evergreen species functional traits intraspecific trait variation leaf economics spectrum leaf habit trait-environment relationships

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Published on: October 25, 2024

Area of Science:

Plant Ecology
Trait Evolution
Climate Change Biology

Background:

Leaf habit (evergreen vs. deciduous) affects plant economics and responses to climate.
Intraspecific trait variation is crucial for understanding adaptation to environmental gradients.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how leaf habit predicts shifts in leaf economic traits along an elevational gradient.
To determine if deciduous and evergreen species exhibit different intraspecific trait responses to changing climate conditions.

Main Methods:

Measured six leaf traits (LMA, LA, LT, N, C:N, δ13C) across 19 elevations on Mount Washington.
Utilized principal component analysis for trait coordination and Bayesian/meta-analytic models for trait-environment relationships.

Main Results:

Deciduous and evergreen species clustered distinctly based on leaf traits, with deciduous species showing a fast-return strategy.
Deciduous species exhibited significant intraspecific trait shifts with elevation and temperature, favoring higher carbon return.
Evergreen responses were less pronounced, and both models confirmed leaf habit differences in carbon acquisition traits.

Conclusions:

Leaf habit significantly structures how plant traits vary intraspecifically with elevation.
Deciduous species adjust traits for increased carbon gain in shorter, high-elevation growing seasons.
Leaf lifespan constraints drive divergent intraspecific responses to environmental change across leaf habits.