The association of leaf sulfur content with the leaf economics spectrum and plant adaptive strategies

Sulfur is an essential macronutrient for plant primary metabolism. Its availability can modulate growth in most terrestrial ecosystems. However, its relationship with other leaf and nutrient traits, hence contribution to functioning, remains unclear. We analysed traits 740 vascular species growing a wide range of environmental conditions Northern Italy. determined whether sulfur content per unit dry mass (LSC) associated economics spectrum, distribution among functional types (growth forms, life span categories, Grime’s CSR (Competitive, Stress-tolerant, Ruderal strategies) could help elucidate adaptive differences within taxa. High LSC values were mainly fast-growing representative R- C- strategy selection, thus the acquisitive extreme economics, reflecting strong potential connections ecosystem properties such as biomass production or litter decomposability. In general, was significantly positively correlated nitrogen content, ratio constant throughout strategies, phylogenetic effects evident. Our findings highlight that variation strongly suggesting additional nutrients seldom included analyses may also be embroiled context economics. different ratios expected across families, deeper insight from groups provide bridge between stoichiometry ecology, useful evaluation ecological responses global change.