Plant functional traits along an old-field succession in the high tropical Andes

The study examined plant functional traits—including specific leaf area (SLA), CO2 assimilation rates (Amax), leaf nitrogen content (Nleaf), and biomass allocation—along a successional gradient in the high tropical Andes. Results indicate that traits associated with rapid growth dominate early succession, with SLA, Amax, and Nleaf decreasing as succession progresses for grasses. Notably, the study found no evidence that drought resistance traits dominate late succession stages, contradicting some previous research.

• Plant traits associated with rapid growth, specifically specific leaf area (SLA), maximum CO2 assimilation rates (Amax), and leaf nitrogen content (Nleaf), are dominant during the early stages of secondary succession.
• For grasses, clear trends were observed along the successional gradient for SLA, Amax on a mass basis, Nleaf, and the allocation of biomass between aboveground and belowground components; however, forbs did not show as well-defined patterns for biomass allocation and Nleaf.
• The study found no patterns in leaf water relations for either grasses or forbs, and contrary to previous research, drought resistance traits did not dominate the late succession stages.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2025). Plant functional traits along an old-field succession in the high tropical Andes. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/plant-functional-traits-along-an-old-field-succession-in-the-high-tropical-andes/

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Plant functional traits along an old-field succession in the high tropical Andes. 2025. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/plant-functional-traits-along-an-old-field-succession-in-the-high-tropical-andes/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Plant functional traits along an old-field succession in the high tropical Andes |date=7 January 2025 |url=https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/plant-functional-traits-along-an-old-field-succession-in-the-high-tropical-andes/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2025plant, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Plant functional traits along an old-field succession in the high tropical Andes}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/plant-functional-traits-along-an-old-field-succession-in-the-high-tropical-andes/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }