From mallees to mountain ash, specific leaf area is coordinated with eucalypt tree stature, resprouting, stem construction, and fruit size

Context

The radiation of eucalypts into almost every Australian environment offers valuable insights to plant ecological strategies.

Aims

We aimed to assess the degree to which functional traits across different organs are independent or reflect coordinated strategies in southern eucalypts.

Methods

We applied ordinary and phylogenetic generalised least squares regressions to 164 southern Australian taxa, examining the network of pairwise relationships between 10 functional traits representing aspects of stature, leaf economics, reproduction and post-fire regeneration. We examined coordination and modularity in this network and estimated how phylogeny affects observed trait correlations.

Results

Stem and stature traits were generally independent of reproductive traits, with Specific Leaf Area the most connected trait, being correlated with traits from all organs. Resprouting ability was also connected to several traits. Species able to resprout basally, but not epicormically, were on average shorter, stouter, with higher stem sapwood density, thinner bark, smaller leaves and lower Specific Leaf Area than those able to resprout using both methods. Taxa resembled their relatives; phylogenetic signal was significant for all continuous traits except Relative Height, ranging from Pagel’s Lambda λ = 0.37 (Relative Bark Thickness) to λ = 0.82 (Specific Leaf Area). Phylogenetic analyses showed weakened correlations for most (but not all) trait pairs. However, most moderate relationships on the trait correlation network also displayed correlated evolution.

Conclusions

Stature, stem, leaf and reproductive traits and fire response of eucalypts are somewhat coordinated, principally through leaf economics. Trait combinations that confer ecological competence on eucalypt taxa in present-day conditions are likely to have been similarly favoured throughout their evolutionary history.

Implications

This supports theory of coordinated plant strategies.