Community leaf dry matter content predicts plant production in simple and diverse grassland

Plant growth correlates with values of collinear (covarying) traits from the leaf economics spectrum. Environmental variation and differences in community composition may alter contributions these to plant production thereby limit consistency trait-based predictions among years communities. We tested effects interannual precipitation grassland (planted monoculture switchgrass, Panicum virgatum, mixture perennial herbaceous species) on utility two spectrum (leaf dry matter content [LDMC] [N]) predict aboveground net primary (ANP) during spring 6 years. Spatial temporal correlated community-scale (species abundance-weighted) both traits, but LDMC explained 66% variance accounted for ≥89% by combined. The ANP response trait differed between Greater increased increasing slopes ANP–trait regression relationships values. Communities role annual [N]–LDMC relationship explaining ANP. Results indicate that mean trends can be predicted using LDMC. Trait-based could improved, however, accommodating production–trait relationships.