Intraspecific trait variation and species turnover in successional tropical forests: assessing trait imputation for community-weighted means

Accounting for intraspecific trait variation (ITV) is crucial to plant ecology vegetation modeling efforts. ITV can be substantial; however, it remains unclear how influences community-weighted mean (CWM) estimates. We use leaf and root data from 423 trees of 72 species 15 Angiosperm families in combination with community 164 25 × m plots comprising 580 evaluate the contributions compositional turnover CWMs, comparing unlogged primary tropical forest selectively logged clear-cut secondary forest. also examine effect imputing missing values using phylogenetic generalized linear (PhyloPars) on CWMs. For six seven traits, negatively covaried generate larger CWM differences between types than observed if was not integrated. example, plot average-weighted specific area 10.7 10.4 m2 kg−1 forests, accounting ITV, but shifted 9.8 11.1 after doing so. Our results assemblages were largely consistent phylogenetically imputed traits entire community. The contribution CWMs ranged 75%, turnover, driving among successional types. estimates became more conservative age, whereas many showed an opposing acquisitive shift (i.e., increasing or length) because negative covariation weighted increased.